


Turning Point

by Dancingdog



Series: War; what is it good for? [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angels and Demons AU, Angels have pale wings, Attempt at Humor, Demons have dark wings, Fluff, Hate Sex, Hate to friends to love, Healer!Raphael, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Plot, Protective!Winchesters, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sarcastic Lucifer, Sassy Gabriel, Slow Build, There's a dog for some reason, War AU, Wise Michael, at first, hurt!castiel, really slow build, wing!kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-07-28 13:05:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 112,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7641493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dancingdog/pseuds/Dancingdog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Dean are the best agents on the demon side of the border. They are ordered by their boss, Crowley, to infiltrate angel territory and lay low for a couple of years with the hopes of gathering some incriminating evidence on the angel's military leaders; the highly respected archangels.</p><p>However, when they are placed under Gabriel and Castiel's watchful gazes, the brothers soon realise that maybe they were a little too presumptuous when assuming they could just take what they wanted without consequences. </p><p>The angels have killed both their parents and many of their friends, yet they can't seem to keep their hearts separated from their hosts...</p><p>*  *  *<br/><strong>UNDER MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION!</strong></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

If there was one thing that Dean had learned through experience, it was if you ever saw an angel on your side of the border, kill it before it got a chance to kill you.

Angels and demons were sworn enemies and the war between their kinds had been going on for centuries. Of course, nowadays it was less sword to sword combat and more about intelligence and stealth. Just because they were fighting didn't mean they didn't live in the twenty-first century. Life still continued, just on their respective sides of the border and if anyone was seen crossing the heavily guarded border, they were shot on sight.

Unless you were special ops. Like Sam and Dean.

The two Demons could get into anything they wanted and so far, they had never been caught by any of the angel's security measures. Even their highest operatives had a hard time trying to track them when they stuck their noses into business that wasn't theirs.

They were good at what they did, even if what they did wasn't strictly clean or honourable.

It was necessary however, if the demons wished to win this war.

The two species had originally lived together, however as technology advanced and new governments came into power, each species began to notice irritating traits in their counterparts that made ideals and politics clash between their kinds. Even their appearances were noticeably different.

Demons generally had dark wings, ranging from soft browns to the deepest of blacks, whereas angels had pale wings, between dirty yellows to the purest of whites.

Demons were built for strength and defence, with their wings being slightly thicker and tougher than an angel's, who were built for speed in flight, meaning their wings were thinner and had softer feathers.

A demon's eyes would flash black when experiencing intense emotions, whereas an angel's would glow bright, accentuating their actual iris colour.

These physical differences were partly to do with how the war had started as angels had noticed that demons tended to have more aggressive personalities and preferred to settle their arguments physically rather than verbally. Demons saw angels as cold and cruel as they held grudges for far longer than demons (who saw it as a waste of time) and could find underhanded ways of making others suffer if they disliked them.

Fights began to break out between the two species and with no third species to negotiate between the two, riots erupted and people were severely wounded, some even killed.

Immediately, the species separated and lands were split in half, the races warring with each other to subdue their counterparts and take the others' land.

As time passed, the sides reached a stalemate and now, the war consisted mainly of calculated and precise strikes to important government buildings or influential bodies. Intelligence would be gathered and used to blackmail certain people from the opposing side, shifting the war in one species' favour, but it was getting extremely difficult to break through security as both sides advanced in their technology, with many agents and soldiers giving their lives in the process.

Careful planning was needed on both sides, meaning that strikes were becoming less frequent, but more damaging.

If either side wanted to win, they would need to do something drastic involving the highest powers on their opponent's side.

"So… what's this about a new mission?" Dean drawled as he and his brother sauntered into the familiar office.

Their boss was smaller than them but his wings were a rare colour for a demon as they were a deep red. Most of the higher ups (or ‘dukes’ as they were known as) had unusual wing colourings just as the archangels (the highest ranking of the angels' defences) had unusual colouring for their species.

Crowley grinned and gestured for them to sit in front of his desk, his wings flicking thoughtfully as he watched them.

"As you are the best agents we have in the field, we thought that you would be the most suitable for this... unconventional exercise."

The brothers tilted their wings in curiosity.

"You see, as you know, we're at a bit of a stalemate regarding intel collection, but we think if this works, we should have enough on those angels to destroy their governments and their highest ranks in one blow. We'll be able to take back their land and there will be nothing they can do about it. Anything that happens after that is up to our own parliament."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Sounds fantastic, but I get the feeling there's a ninety percent chance we could die with what you've got in store?"

Crowley smirked.

"Maybe even higher."

"What exactly do we have to do?" Asked Sam.

"Well, Moose, in theory it's simple: You go to the angels and ask them for amnesty. Tell them you're on the run from our people because you were spotted giving information to the angels. Explain that you hate how this war is changing our kind into savages and that you feel physically sick at having to look at all the death and destruction. Tell them you believe their way of life to be safer. They'll take you in and put you under close observation due to your... status."

The brothers grinned; all the angel operatives knew about the Winchesters due to their unbeatable record of success for every mission they had undertaken.

"Once you're over there, you will not be trusted with any regular observational officer; you will be placed under the care of the angels with the same position as you, considering that the only ones higher than that would be the archangels and I don't think they'd be too pleased with having to look after either of you two."

Sam and Dean glanced to each other. That meant angels like Zachariah, Anna, Uriel, Castiel and a few others; all of whom were very well known for their skill in the field and had been particular problems for the demons.

"You'll be put under immediate house arrest," continued Crowley, ignoring their concerned glances. "You will not be able to leave wherever they stick you and you will be fitted with an electronic tracker, which will shoot a large voltage through you if you decide to run.

"You'll stay there until you gain their trust and they'll begin to let you have a little more freedom. When you think the time is right, offer your services to them. Tell them you can give them so much more information about our plans than what they've already grilled you for - and they _will_ grill you, even if they're not strictly supposed to.

"When they take you up on your offer, you'll be allowed into their base of operations. If you've gained enough trust from your guard, you may be allowed into places we can't get access to with our agents. That's when you start collecting dirt on them. Anything incriminating, anything that they may not be proud of, any secrets, any future plans; I want it all. I want to be able to tell their dog's name from the information you collect. When the time is right, we'll release the documents to the public; ours and theirs. I can guarantee there will be things in there that have been cut from public concern - things that aren't ethical and would cause distrust between the ordinary people and their governments. Without the people, what good is a government? We'll step in then. We'll tell them we had no idea what was going on behind their backs and that we never thought they could perform whatever acts of atrocity I'm sure there are. Once we've swayed their public in our favour, it's up to our higher ups to decide the next course of action."

Crowley leaned back on his expensive-looking chair and swirled his whiskey in its glass as he watched the brothers.

"So basically, you want us to play nice with our guard dog until he or she lets us in to HQ, where we lie through our teeth to get information from them?"

"That's what I said."

Dean huffed, his wings flapping in irritation. "Being nice to angels. It's not right."

"How long is this going to take though? I mean, they're not going to just trust us overnight." Sam mused.

"Honestly? Probably a year for your observational officer. Maybe two or more for everyone else."

The brothers shivered.

"Two years in angel land? I might have stabbed a few of them by then," muttered Dean.

"What have you got to lose? It's not like you have any family over here."

The Winchesters glared at their boss. That was a low blow; the angels had killed both their parents in their previous attacks on parliament - another reason Sam and Dean hated them so fiercely.

The first attack had been to blow up the building where the representatives of certain governing bodies had organised a meeting. Mary Winchester had died in flames along with seven other representatives. Sam had been six months old then; Dean four years.

John Winchester had done everything he could to make sure the angels paid for that mistake and he quickly solidified the reason why he was known as the best agent the demons had. Unfortunately, it didn't make him invincible and he was captured by Naomi: the angels' interrogation specialist (read: _torture specialist_ ).

He was presumed dead two years later.

Crowley sighed. "Look, if you don't think you can handle it, then I'll give the opportunity to someone else."

"Who said we can't handle it?" Growled Dean, dark wings flaring wide.

"You hesitated," pointed out Crowley.

"...You're certain this will bring them down completely?" Asked Sam quietly.

"Absolutely. If you succeed, of course."

"Then we'll do it."

"Excellent. I'll sort out the details and you can be gone by Monday morning. Good luck. Dismissed."


	2. Chapter 2

Slipping past the angel's border guards was simple enough for experienced demons like the Winchesters, so was breaking into the local police station's chief's office to hand themselves over. Being picked up by top agents Castiel, Uriel, Balthazar and Zachariah to be interrogated, only to surprise them all by asking for amnesty was easy as well. 

What wasn't easy was having to stand in the same room as Naomi as she sneered at them in her pristine suit, ivory wings held high and formal as Michael, the active leader of the angel's defences (directly below the government) grilled them on why they were seeking amnesty.

Sam lowered his chocolate wings in a way that said he submitted and his eyes grew pleading as he begged the archangel to hear their story.

"We're on the run from our own guard. Our co-workers have turned against us and nothing we say can make them change their opinion. They want us dead for what we did and they're too aggressive to be reasoned with, Sir."

Although Michael was known to be a stubborn leader amongst the demons, he was also known to be fair. His silver wings shifted slightly as he contemplated them.

"And what was it that you did to turn your people against you?"

Sam bit his lip in a show of vulnerability and Dean almost laughed. His brother could pull off a very convincing puppy-dog face.

"We gave information to one of your guards at the border. We thought we were hidden, but apparently one of the other agents saw us and told the boss. We never saw the angel afterwards so I don't know what happened to him, Sir."

Michael raised a skeptical eyebrow. 

"Which angel?"

Sam shrugged. "I'm not quite sure. He looked young. Blond. Yellowish wings. Not overly tall. It was difficult to tell in the dark and we never asked for a name, Sir."

Dean knew Sam was describing Samandriel; an angel that had been shot down just under a week ago by their forces. He was one of the guards and the angels had heard that he'd been spotted sneaking into demon territory for unknown reasons. 

He hadn't. Ruby, a trained sniper, had shot him for fun. She really didn't like angels.

Still not believing the story, Michael interlaced his hands behind his back as he looked down at the pair on their knees.

"What time did you talk to this angel?"

"Past midnight. June twenty-first, Sir."

"Last tuesday?"

"Yes Sir."

The story was consistent with Samandriel's death and the angels knew it.

"What information did you volunteer?" Asked the dark haired angel, wings twitching as his brain raced with all the possibilities of how the demons could be tricking him.

They had to be careful here; they couldn't give any real information to their enemies, but they could manipulate the truth marginally and make it seem legitimate.

Dean lowered his wings, slightly darker than his brother's, into the same submitting pose as Sam, although it was painful to do so in front of angels.

"They're thinking of putting plants in your agency. We don't know who but we know they're going to try and gain your trust until you let something valuable slip. They'll use it against you and tell your public. There'll be riots and you'll lose favour of the ordinary people. They'll stop feeling safe around you and begin to form their own weakly-built defences. They'll be cut down, Sir, by our people."

Suddenly a dark-skinned angel spoke up, sapphire wings tensing behind him and the brothers recognised him to be the archangel Raphael, noted for being the best healer in current times. 

"And just how did you come by this information?"

Sam sighed regretfully, his head dipping in forced shame. 

"Because we were the ones who were supposed to do the job, Sir."

It was a risky move, but it was the most efficient way to make the angels question themselves. They wouldn't be sure whether the demons were telling the truth or whether they were performing the job.

"Yet you turned it down?"

Michael was known as fair for a reason.

"Yes Sir."

"Why?"

Sam flicked his wings in pretend distress and Dean played the caring brother by moving one wing slightly closer to the other demon's before apparently realising where he was and pulling it back.

It made a few of the angels in the room a little less tense and Dean had to hide a smirk at how gullible they were.

"We've lost everything in this war, Sir," began Sam, his voice strong but something in his tone suggesting weakness. "Our family is dead, most of our friends murdered and now our co-workers have turned against us. We have nothing left. We can't reason with our bosses because they treat us like idiots. We want out of the agency, but they'll never let us leave with the information we have on them." 

It was an interesting invitation for the angels to grill them on what they knew and Sam slipped it in hoping the angels would fall for it. When a few wings twitched in curiosity, the brothers knew they had them where they wanted.

Still, Sam continued. "We went to that guard because we didn't want to see any more ordinary lives ruined, like ours was. It's enough that the armies are involved; we don't need to add civilians to the mix as well."

A golden-winged angel at the back of the room smirked and the demons were surprised when he shoved a lollipop in his mouth without a word. That must have been Gabriel.

Michael did not seem offended by his brother's actions and instead flicked his wings in irritation at the demons.

"You expect us to believe that you gave information willingly without desiring something in return?"

"With all due respect, Sir, I've just said that we didn't want any civilians-"

"He means do you really expect us to believe you performed this random act of kindness for us out of the goodness of your little black hearts?"

Dean almost growled at the youngest archangel's amused tone. They weren't toys for him to play with and they weren't going to be spoken to like that by some mannerless munchkin.

"There have been recorded accounts of defection on both sides. Is it that difficult to believe that we are amongst those few who have changed our ideals?"

Gabriel chuckled. "Considering that your father, the best agent of his time, was terminated at our hands, I'd say it was _very_ difficult to believe that you are so eager to swap sides."

The brothers had been warned about Gabriel. They had been warned about many of the angels standing before them, but they had been told to listen to Gabriel's words very carefully and to not be deceived by his tone. His personality was generally light hearted, but he used it to disguise the actual meaning behind his words in order to lure his victims into a false sense of security, so he could wheedle the information out of you before you even realised that you'd given it.

Right now, he was testing the brothers; trying to see if he could provoke a reaction from them by mentioning their family.

Both demons kept their wings plastered to their backs, so as not to give away any emotion.

"Our loyalties do not lie with the demons anymore," stated Sam, choosing his words carefully so they sounded detached from their own people.

"We ask you to look into your hearts and grant us amnesty, or else we are penalised with death. We have seen how demon society has been changed by this war and we do not agree with many of those effects. You have every right to be suspicious of us, but we ask you to consider our plea and allow us to prove our loyalty to you. We do not want to fight against our kind, but we aren't willing to fight for them either." It sounded honest and more believable when they said they would prefer to be neutral, but the offer was still there of lending their assistance if it was needed.

Dean was proud of his little brother's cautiousness in his wording; the angels were glancing to each other thoughtfully as if they were starting to believe the brothers' sincerity.

_Idiots._

Michael scrutinised them for a long few minutes and the demons had to remain very still with their heads bowed in apparent shamefulness as the angels thought over their decision. After some tense silence, Michael spoke again.

"We will grant you amnesty on the condition you are to be put under observation. You will be separated and placed under the care of two of our most capable agents, where you will not be able to leave their house unless escorted by them or someone of equivalent or higher rank. You will have a small tracking device fitted to your leg and if you break any of our rules, the device will apply a large voltage to your body, rendering you temporarily paralysed. Find yourselves in this situation and we will take immediate action against you. Are these terms amenable to you?" 

Sam bowed his head even further, his wings flattening out by his sides, almost fan-like and a few of the angels' wings fluttered, pleased by the show of respect.

Dean slowly did the same, internally cursing how he had to lower himself to bowing in front of angels.

Michael nodded tightly and when the demons raised their gazes he turned to an angel with pure white wings and a blank expression on his face.

"Castiel will be one of your hosts for your time with us. He is a good man and I'm sure you'll agree once you get to know him."

Castiel's face morphed into an unhappy scowl as Michael turned to Dean. 

"Do not disobey him. He will report back to me each week with a record of your behaviour; anything questionable will warrant a visit from me and I will decide what to do with you from there. Do you understand?"

Dean nodded, making sure to place a wary look in his eyes when in actual fact he wanted to lunge at the pompous leader and drive a blade through his throat.

Castiel's scowl deepened and the demons had a feeling the angel hadn't been informed that he would be called upon if they ever needed someone to play maid to a demon of their rank. Not that anyone ever expected someone of their status to 'defect'.

That just made it more likely for the angel to slip up and therefore easier for the brothers to get what they wanted.

Next, Michael turned to Sam.

"The same goes for you. Betray us and there will be consequences."

There was a pause, as if the leader of the angels was thinking carefully about who to assign as Sam's guard, but eventually he came to a decision and without moving his gaze he spoke quietly but with conviction.

"You will be placed under Gabriel's care."

A choking sound resonated from the far corner of the room as Gabriel almost swallowed his lollipop and the other angels' wings lifted slightly in alarm at their leader's choice.

Sam and Dean glanced nervously at each other, heads still bowed; that hadn't been part of the plan. The golden-winged archangel was not supposed to be their host. It was difficult enough to get around the four highest ranking angels without them being the ones to monitor them permanently.

"You have got to be kidding?!" Screeched Gabriel indignantly, his wings puffing up and spreading out behind him defensively.

Michael blinked slowly and faced his younger brother with a patient face.

"I'm afraid not, brother. You will be responsible for Sam and his actions from now on."

Gabriel growled. "Why me? Why not one of the lower angels?"

"I can't place these two particular demons with anyone of lower rank than who is in this room. You know that, Gabriel."

"There are other agents in this room of the same rank as our guests."

"Quite correct. However, I think this would be a lesson in maturity for you; for you to understand what it's like to be responsible for not just your own needs and actions, but for those of others as well."

Gabriel's face reddened in his disbelief and anger and he threw his hands up.

"Why on Earth do I need a lesson in maturity?"

Michael raised an eyebrow at the irony of his brother's gestures but his wings were beginning to tense; a clear sign of him starting to lose his patience.

"You are the youngest of the four of us; if anything happens to us and you are left in charge, can you honestly say you'd be completely in control of situations, like the ones we've faced, if you were alone in command?"

Gabriel hesitated and his wings lowered as the anger faded and he thought about his brother's words.

"You have the opportunity to watch over two of the most dangerous opponents we've ever faced," stated Michael softly and it was clear to the Winchesters then, that the angels truly believed they would slip up. 

As if these harp players would ever be able to catch them.

Gabriel sighed quietly and he nodded as if he understood what the older man was trying to say and even Castiel looked slightly less irritated by his new task. He stepped back into his original position and Michael's lips twitched upwards in gratefulness.

The barely-there smile vanished quickly when his gaze snapped back to the demons. 

"Your arrangement will be put into place immediately and you shall be escorted to your new accommodation shortly."

Balthazar and Anna stepped forwards and just as they were practically dragged from the room to be shoved into a waiting area as their 'hosts' were debriefed on their new mission, Michael stared at them coldly.

"Do not cross us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First two chapters have been submitted together because they both set the scene for the rest of the fic. Hope they interest you!


	3. Chapter 3

It had been nearly impossible to discuss the unexpected addition to their mission whilst in the waiting room as two angels had been posted in the room with them. Fortunately, Sam and Dean were brothers, which meant they had the extra advantage of a sibling bond between their dark graces. 

Some wing movements were common between both angels and demons, but many were not and with the aid of the bond, communication was made a little easier between the pair. 

Of course, the bond only conveyed vague emotions and not actual words, but they could get the gist of what each other was trying to say by subtle wing gestures.

The guards had no clue what was going on.

Sam tilted one wing towards his head as if to say _'what now?'_ and Dean pressed his wings against his back as of to say _'lie low'_.

Sam knew he was talking about staying off Gabriel's radar. Their mission had been made quite a bit harder by the addition of the archangel as Sam's guard as it would be more difficult to gain the leader's trust. Not to mention that Gabriel was of the highest rank for a reason and would constantly be looking for ways to trip Sam up, considering he was one of the only angels in the room who hadn't believed Sam and Dean's plea for amnesty. 

Add to that the youngest archangel's ability to wheedle information out of people and Sam was in for a hard time. He would have to play his part extremely well if they were to succeed.

Dean had his own problems though. Castiel, although of equivalent rank to them, was infamous amongst both demons and angels for being cold and efficient in his job. He didn't let people close to him very easily and seemed to view death as just part of the job, which wasn't a comforting thought when you knew exactly how many demon lives (and a few traitorous angels') the white-winged man had ended.

Earning his trust would be almost impossible. 

There was a rumour that the angel was like that because he'd once fallen in love with a demon who had seemingly defected when he was much younger and not of as high a rank. Castiel had spent five years of his life taking care of the man and the demon had made it look like he was interested in the angel. They had courted and moved in together, despite the disgusted looks of other angels; Castiel hadn't cared what they thought, he loved the demon. 

They had talked about grace bonding, where they would exchange a little part of their graces with each other; a permanent action that was only undertaken when a demon or angel was absolutely certain that they truly loved this person and would give up all their darkest secrets, their hopes, their fears and much more to that one person. It was the ultimate sign of trust.

Then things took a turn for the worst. It turned out the demon had been playing the naive Castiel and had attempted to place a bomb under their parliament, set to go off during the meeting of the councils the next day. Castiel had spotted some incriminating evidence in their home and confronted his lover about it. The demon had tried to kill him with Castiel's own blade, but someone had heard the ruckus coming from their apartment and called the police. 

The demon was taken back into custody by the archangels and interrogated by Naomi. He never came back out.

Castiel had shut out the world and became hardened after that, swiftly climbing the ranks to where he was today, only letting a few people close to him; a few of the agents in his team and the archangels.

Of course, they were only rumours.

The brothers were pulled out of their wing-bond conversation by the waiting room door opening to reveal Gabriel and Castiel, each wearing grim expressions.

Gabriel jerked his head at them and the two brothers followed them out, ready to start life in their new homes.

 

* * *

 

Castiel unlocked his large apartment without a word, flicking on the lights and watching Dean closely as he looked around.

The place had a lot of potential, but true to Castiel's personality, it was rather bare with no personal items in sight. It almost looked like he'd just moved in, but there were no boxes so that obviously wasn't the case. Furniture was minimal and what little there was, was standard living, with no quirks or emotion to them. 

Dean pulled a face at the plainness of it all.

"I don't possess a second bed, so until I obtain one, you'll sleep on the couch."

 _Lovely._ Just how Dean wanted to spend his nights: on a boring couch that looked like its cushions were made from concrete.

"Awesome," muttered Dean, already beginning to hate the mission more than he originally did.

Castiel didn't seem affected by it and he shucked off his trench coat and hung it on the nearby stand.

"You will sleep at ten, wake at six, shower, have breakfast, lunch at twelve sharp and dinner by six. In between, you may read, watch television, play any games you wish, so long as you do not enter my room. Understood? I will not be present during the hours of eight a.m. and six p.m., however there are cameras in this room and others, meaning if you attempt to escape, I will find out about it. I also have possession of the remote that will set off the device on your leg and will use it if I see fit," said Castiel cooly as he produced a tiny black case which had a flip up lid containing a small red button.

Dean almost growled at the angel he was beginning to hate more and more the longer he spent in his company. Castiel was practically giving him allotted toilet times! Unfortunately if he wanted to be successful in his mission, he would have to be nice with his soulless host. He plastered on a fake grin.

"Okie dokie, Sir," he mock saluted, but his face fell when the angel merely raised an eyebrow and walked away. 

Well this was going to be fun.

 

* * *

 

Sam glanced around the vivid room. Gabriel obviously enjoyed his comfort if the plush furniture was anything to go by. There was even a large beanbag chair in the corner of the room, next to a small book shelf.

Gabriel looked around the brightly coloured room with fondness.

"I'm afraid I don't own a second bed, but I'll be sure to buy one by the end of the week. So for now, you'll have to make do with the couch."

Said couch looked more comfortable than Sam's own bed and he nodded dumbly.

Gabriel snickered, probably used to having his guests look around his home with awe.

"Before you get settled in, I've got a few rules to lay down. One, you want food, you make it. Two, you have full roam of the house, upstairs and downstairs except for my room. Don't go in there. I'll know if you do. Three, Don't leave the house, unless of course there's a fire. Four, I do have the remote to that little device on your leg and I will use it if you decide to try anything funny. Five, you may entertain yourself with any of my possessions but don't try to escape. There are cameras and that strap doubles up as a tracking device. I will find out. Final rule, don't feed the stupid cat that keeps coming in the back garden. I am sick to death of trying to chase that thing out."

Sam raised an eyebrow, already beginning to understand why it was so easy to trust Gabriel. The archangel had an amiable air about him, but Sam wouldn't be fooled so easily.

"Sure," he replied simply. If Gabriel was known for making people talk then Sam would speak in short sentences.

Gabriel offered a dazzling smile and wandered to the kitchen.

"Make yourself at home," he called behind him.

Sam was going to have to work hard if he was to fool Gabriel.

 

* * *

 

It had been a month since the demon brothers had been separated, their weapons removed and contact between them limited to certain times and Dean was going out of his mind from boredom.

Within the first two weeks, he had realised that he didn't need to be friendly towards Castiel as the angel made it known that he was not in any way welcome in his home. So Dean treated him the same way as he was being treated. 

The angel never found this as cause to press the remote he kept attached to his person at all times, even when they were practically snarling at each other. Dean made sure to make life difficult for the angel, just as the angel made sure to make Dean's life a nightmare and nobody else ever said anything about it. Dean treated Castiel's house guests with respect and would offer friendly conversation whenever it was needed. Angels of lower rank would find him polite and eventually had to admit that he seemed genuine in his plea for amnesty, sometimes telling Castiel how honest and kind he seemed.

Castiel never said a word.

As long as Dean didn't break any of the rules, the white-winged man didn't seem too concerned with the fact that the demon who had _defected_ clearly hated him.

The door to the apartment opened and closed behind Castiel as he came home later than usual.

Dean was sat on the hard couch reading a book he didn't find the least bit interesting and he didn't glance at his host as he took off his trench coat.

"Was beginning to hope you wouldn't show."

Castiel walked to the kitchen and pulled out some items form the fridge.

"Wouldn't that make it so much easier for you to perform whatever mission you have here?"

Dean didn't bat an eyelid as he replied.

"It would if I actually had a mission here."

"I'm surprised you've made it a month here without letting anything slip."

"I'm not, considering I've got nothing to let slip."

"I'm interested to see how long you can keep the act up."

"I'm interested to see how long you can keep asking a defected demon questions before you realise I have no mission here."

"That may work with the lower ranks, but it doesn't with me. I will find out what you plan to do here. I wouldn't be surprised if you're that plant that you were talking about when you first arrived."

Dean kept his wings still to prevent them from showing just how close to the truth the angel was and he replied in a challenging voice, just to get a reaction out of him.

"You'd like that wouldn't you? Me being a plant. Well not everyone is like that ex-lover of yours. Some of us are sincere."

Castiel stiffened and Dean didn't bother to stifle a laugh as the angel stalked out of the kitchen and glared at him, arms crossed.

"I take it the rumours of my mistake reached your side then? I must disagree; I think you're exactly like that filthy abomination. It's only a matter of time before we prove it."

Dean snickered but his wings ruffled at the insult. "Yeah, good luck with that. Although I'm not sure what dirt you're going to collate."

Castiel narrowed his eyes and paced off, his wings high and indignant.

Dean settled onto the couch. There may not be much to do in terms of entertainment around the apartment, but pushing Castiel's buttons was quickly becoming one of Dean's favourite past times.

 

* * *

 

"So, Sammy..."

Sam internally groaned and tried to keep his attention on the book in front of him. Gabriel had used that nickname more and more ever since the demon had pulled him up for saying it, stating that only his brother was allowed to call him that. Naturally, Gabriel decided to use it all the time just to annoy the younger demon.

He could practically feel Gabriel's grin.

"What'cha reading?"

"A book."

"Really? I thought it was a sass manual."

"Haha. What do you want?"

"Aww... don't be like that, Sammy. I'm just trying to strike up a conversation."

"Yeah, well your conversations usually wind up with me itching to punch you in the face."

"And here's me thinking we were friends."

"You have done nothing this past month but try to get information on a supposed 'mission' that you seem to think I'm on. Excuse me for feeling irritated at the limited subject matter."

"I've only been asking questions about you."

"Which somehow always relate back to me working undercover for the demonic government."

Gabriel smirked and leaned back on the arm of the couch. Although he seemed friendly, Sam had learned a while ago that if he cared to look into the archangel's eyes, they would be sharp and detached; a testament to how little he actually trusted the demon in his home.

"I must admit, you have done well in holding your tongue so far. Don't let it go to your head however; I always get the information I want one way or another."

Sam stiffened angrily as the atmosphere changed, but he didn't look up from his book.

"Good luck with getting information that doesn't exist."

Suddenly Gabriel was hovering behind him.

"We'll see about that," he whispered, daring in his tone and almost immediately his face brightened as he squeezed the demon's shoulder.

"You want Mexican or Indian for dinner?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will get longer as the story progressess, but this was the best place to cut this one off.


	4. Chapter 4

Castiel had a mind to dump Dean on Michael's doorstep and leave him for the archangel to deal with.

The irritating demon had been under his care for a good six weeks now and he still seemed intent on driving his angelic host insane.

Cas felt a little hurt that his leader would dump the demon on him considering the mistake he'd made in his younger life. Even though the white-winged man had made a new life with a higher rank and very few attachments, it was difficult to completely forget what had happened all those years ago with a man he trusted so naively. 

Everyone had warned him about the demon, but he had (stupidly) brushed them off, saying what he felt for the demon was mutual; that they had even talked about grace bonding. He had been shunned by most people for hooking up with him, but he had truly believed that Alistair had loved him.

He hadn't, of course.

When his supposed lover had tried to stab him, something had cracked deep within Castiel and as his shaken younger self was dragged into the archangels' personal care, he vowed that he would never make the same mistake twice.

The four archangels had taken him in to make sure he recovered (and to question him on anything he may have let slip to the traitorous demon during the course of their relationship), only to be impressed by how efficient he could be when his mind wasn't clouded by the thoughts of true love. 

Cas had quickly won the respect of not only the archangels, but the ordinary people as well and his leaders would give him more and more challenges to test his limits. He passed them all.

Eventually, he grew close to the four brothers and they unofficially adopted him into their family, rising to the rank directly below them and they entrusted him with nearly all of their highest classified secrets, even asking his opinion on what action they should take next in terms of strategy.

They treated him as their brother and Cas would be forever grateful to them considering his own family had been lost during the war when he was a mere infant.

So, to have Michael suddenly land him with another demon felt a bit like a betrayal. He loved his adopted brother dearly but sometimes he had to wonder what was going through his mind at times like these.

He packed away some research as he checked the clock and realised it was past time to leave. He locked HQ's archive door with his private security code and trudged wearily back to his apartment, hoping that Dean would perhaps have fallen asleep by the time he got in.

As most of his luck went, Dean was wide awake, upside down on the couch and bored.

"Y'know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were avoiding me."

Cas rolled his eyes as he rid himself of his coat. 

"What makes you say that?"

"Eight o'clock has got to be the latest you've ever dragged yourself in. Unless there's a pretty lady you've not told me about?"

Castiel didn't feel a need to answer as he walked to the kitchen.

Dean sighed dramatically. "Figures. You might be a nicer person if you got laid once in a while."

Cas grit his teeth. How dare this demon speak to him like that in his own home!

"If it makes me anything like you, then I'll endeavour to stay away from any potential one-night stands."

"Oh come on!" Dean groaned as he sat up. "What's better than no-strings-attached sex?"

 _'Love'_ supplied Cas' brain unhelpfully.

"I can see where your priorities lie," he said instead as he grabbed a pan from the cupboard.

"Best way to a man's heart is through his stomach and if that fails, a good bed partner will suffice."

Cas shook his head. Dean could sound a lot like Gabriel when he wasn't trying to get a reaction from his host.

"But seriously, man, when was the last time you got laid?"

Castiel's grip on the handle of the pan tightened and he tried to ignore the question hanging in the air between them.

There was a beat of silence as Dean stared at his back from the other room, then his eyes widened in what could only be described as glee as the demon connected the dots.

"No way!" He grinned and his wings bobbed in amusement.

Castiel's stiffened in offence as he glared at the pan.

"You seriously haven't done anything with anyone since him?"

"I fail to see what you find so humorous."

Dean practically cackled, which made Castiel's feathers ruffle up with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, which in turn, only made the demon laugh harder.

"That was years ago! I bet the little fella's fallen off!" Howled Dean as he fell back on the couch.

Cas' wings flapped as his temper rose.

"You should watch your tone with me, demon."

A challenging gleam entered Dean's eyes as his laughter died down and he sat upright again.

"You do a lot of talking, Cas, but I don't see you doing a lot of action." The demon paused and looked up thoughtfully and Cas had a sinking feeling of what was coming next.

"Although I suppose you've not had a lot of action for quite a while now." He smirked at the angel and Castiel considered stalking back into the kitchen to throw the frying pan at the infuriating demon. Instead he turned on his heel and aimed for the bedroom, suddenly not feeling like eating after old emotions from a time long buried had resurfaced.

"Prepare your own meal. I hope you set yourself on fire," he growled as he slammed the door.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel had to grudgingly admit that Sam was good at holding his tongue. The demon hadn't let one thing slip about the real reason he was in angel territory and it was almost as if he and his brother really were defecting. 

Gabriel knew better.

It's not as if demons hadn't tried this trick before, granted they had never gone so far up the ranks to put a plant in the angels' midst, but even Castiel had suffered the effects of a so-called _'demon defection'_. 

Had paid dearly for it.

Gabriel sighed as the memories flooded back and whilst he knew that if Castiel had never have met Alistair and therefore, wouldn't be part of Gabriel's closest family, he also wished his adopted brother didn't have to suffer the looks he still got from those who remembered his mistake.

The archangel shook his head to clear his thoughts and focused on the problem at hand, or more precisely: Sam.

The demon was quiet when Gabriel wasn't ribbing him and he had a tendency to settle down with one of the books from Gabriel's (admittedly small) collection.

He seemed to like thrillers and crime novels and Gabriel had caught him once or twice with a comedy in his hands, but he avoided horrors like the plague and Gabriel had a feeling it had something to do with the way his family died.

He'd never met Sam's mother, but he'd heard known of John Winchester; a demon so obsessed with killing the entirety of the angelic race after the death of his wife, that even some of the highest ranking angels were reluctant to be within the same building as him.

He had seen the demon once, in his younger years but then Naomi had taken him and nobody came out of there alive if she deemed them too dangerous.

Gabriel added the finishing touches to his red velvet cake and covered it with a glass bowl built specifically for that purpose.

He hadn't heard Sam in a while.

The archangel took one last longing look at the dessert, before sauntering into the living room and spotting the demon thoroughly engrossed with a book, whilst perched on the beanbag, wings twitching every so often.

Gabriel watched them in amusement, smiling when he realised they were showing each different emotion Sam felt as he read through the scene.

He hovered in front of the demon when Sam didn't immediately look up and grinned at the author's name.

"John Grisham? One of my favourites."

Sam startled and juggled with the book for a few moments before his face suddenly folded back into a neutral, but wary expression and his wings snapped to his back.

Gabriel felt his smile grow wider at being able to see the demon caught so off guard.

"Did you need something, Gabriel?"

The archangel shrugged and took a step back. 

"Just curious what you were doing. Hadn't heard you for a while."

A brief flicker of suspicion crossed Sam's face.

"Well, I haven't gone anywhere. I'm still in your house. Under house arrest."

"I suppose you are."

Gabriel paused, unsure how to entertain himself without irritating the demon before him. He wasn't stupid; he knew if he provoked Sam too much, the giant demon would most likely attempt to defend himself in a way that could harm a small archangel such as himself. He didn't think Sam would actively lash out, not if he was attempting to keep up the guise of amnesty seeker, but then again, he didn't proclaim to have high expectations of cunning demons either.

He shrugged and returned to his cake.

 

* * *

 

In the second month, Dean decided he was going stir crazy. He wasn't trusted to go outside yet, even with an escort, which meant he wasn't allowed to see his brother. The only contact he got with anybody was with Castiel and his house guests, which usually consisted of the angels glaring at him until he moved into the corner of the room and out of their way. Some of the lower ranks and the civilians, those that weren't entirely certain what Castiel did for a living, would sometimes smile politely at him, some even wishing him well in his plea for amnesty, but the higher ranks, those that were war hardened, would narrow their eyes at him or play twenty questions. 

It was draining and more often than not, the people who visited Castiel were either his co workers or his bosses.

At the moment, Balthazar had decided to pop down for a chat and Dean had the feeling he was distinctly unwanted by both angels.

"So Dean, you have any idea what you'd do if the archs decide to grant you your wish? Any thoughts on where you'd live?"

Dean shrugged in what he hoped didn't show his annoyance with the nosy cream-winged angel.

"Not sure. Haven't been allowed off the chain yet so I don't really know the area."

"Didn't you get a good enough look when you broke into that police station?"

Dean's wings tensed and Balthazar smirked as he took a sip of his wine.

"Sorry, love, didn't mean to ruffle your feathers."

He had met Balthazar a couple of times before and he hadn't liked the man then, but Castiel seemed to be close friends with the snarky idiot, daring to relax minutely in his presence even with Dean in the room.

It was easy to see why. The cream-winged angel may be irritating to Dean, but he was kind with Cas, offering an ear and a shoulder to lean on when the stress of having a demon under his care got too much. 

Dean knew both angels hadn't thought he would notice these little stolen moments between them, but when your life revolved around knowing as many secrets as possible about those around you, it was very easy to catch the pair in the act, even if it meant plastering yourself to the bathroom door as you strained your ears to hear what was being whispered two rooms over.

Castiel always wore this weird barely-there smile when talking to Balthazar, as if he was genuinely pleased with the other angel's company and Dean had to wonder if there wasn't something going on between them even though he knew it was highly unheard of for two people of their position to get romantically involved.

Then again, it wasn't every day an angel confessed his undying love for a demon, but Cas was just full of surprises.

"I can practically hear the gears grinding over there," called Balthazar. "You're not plotting to kill us are you? If you are, I don't think you'll be granted amnesty."

Dean rolled his eyes. 

"You're perfectly safe." For now.

"I have a feeling your mouth only said half of what your brain was thinking."

Dean blinked at the accuracy and the angel chuckled at his momentarily stunned expression.

"I see I was correct. Maybe there's not much truth in your plea after all."

In a quick scrabble to dissuade them from their thoughts, Dean snapped "Maybe if you didn't treat me like a criminal, I wouldn't think like one."

Both angels raised an eyebrow, but turned away, unwilling to anger the demon further.

 

* * *

 

Sam wasn't sure why Gabriel was being overly kind to him. If it was a way to get information then he hadn't been efficient in his methods so far and honestly, Sam couldn't see any other reason why the archangel would buy him an Australian Shepherd puppy from the local pet shop.

"You looked bored." Gabriel would always shrug and carry on with whatever it was that archangels do when they're not watching their demonic house guest.

Riot was a good looking dog with a tricolour coat and long fur. He was also possibly the most fun Sam had had in years. 

He had never had time for a pet when back in his own territory and he had been opposed to the idea of bringing an animal home when his job involved killing lots of people. Not to mention Dean hated dogs. And was allergic to cats. Frightened of snakes. Found fish useless.

Maybe his brother wasn't as tough as he made out to be.

Sam though, he loved dogs and the best thing to happen to him in the two months he'd had to endure in this prison was his host bringing home this tiny bundle of fluff. 

He was brought out of his musings when Riot yipped happily and pounced on his leg, where he attempted to scrabble up Sam's chest, but was too small to get anywhere.

Sam laughed, his wings bobbing slightly and he picked up a rope toy and dangled it in front of the puppy's nose.

Tail wagging commenced and Riot clamped down on one end, his oversized paws flying every which way to get a grip on Sam's lap. Sam moved so the animal could get a purchase on the floor instead and he let the pup win their game of tug, to the delight of the little fur-ball.

Riot stumbled back a few paces, the toy in his mouth before sprinting back towards his new friend for another game, which Sam happily indulged him in.

There was a soft chuckle from behind the pair as Riot fell over his own paws into Sam's lap and the demon's wings stiffened at being caught off-guard.

Riot noticed the shift in atmosphere and his tail fell, head cocking in confusion.

"Don't mind me," commented Gabriel from the doorway. "Please, carry on."

Sam frowned and warily got to his feet to face his host.

"Is there something you need, Gabriel?"

The archangel shook his head, his palms outstretched in a placating manner.

"Not at all. Just wondering how you were coping with him." He gestured to the puppy glancing between them and when he noticed Gabriel looking at him, his tail wagged and his tongue lolled from his mouth.

Sam felt a stab of jealousy at the puppy responding to Gabriel, but he knew the dog just wanted attention. He bent down to scratch at his ears and the wagging intensified.

Gabriel seemed to sense that he wasn't wanted and he leaned away from the doorframe.

"I'll leave you two to it then." The angel turned to make his way back up the stairs, but Sam couldn't help but feel rude that Gabriel had probably caught on to his unnecessary possessiveness over his new friend when he was the one who'd given him to Sam in the first place.

"Uhh... thanks... by the way. I don't think I said anything when you brought him here."

Gabriel let a small smile worm its way onto his face and it was one of the first genuine ones he'd seen on the angel.

"No problem, kiddo. Just don't forget to feed him." He winked and Sam relaxed his wings, a barely-there smile of acknowledgement resting on his lips as Gabriel waltzed up the stairs.

Riot barked impatiently from his ankle and Sam grinned as he lowered himself back to the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, Clarence..."

Castiel groaned and almost face-planted the wall; Dean had taken it upon himself to find as many annoying nicknames as possible and use whichever ones dragged the best reaction out of him.

He really hated this demon. 

He'd been chatting with Gabriel over the past three months about their 'guests' and it seemed that the other brother wasn't half as bad as Dean, maybe a little more moody, but definitely not as abrasive.

The demon sauntered into the kitchen and relaxed onto the door frame, arms crossed and cocky smirk in place.

"Wow. You look tense."

Cas sighed and put the pan down.

"What do you want, Dean?"

The demon put a hand over his heart and took on a look of mock offence.

"I'm hurt that you think I want something. Can't I just chat with my buddy?"

The angel grit his teeth.

"One: I'm not your _'buddy'_ and two: you always have an ulterior motive."

"What? Like the one where I'm supposedly here as a plant? How's research into that going by the way?"

"I'll admit you're a convincing actor," muttered Cas as he kept his back on Dean.

"'Cos I'm not acting, darlin'."

Cas almost growled at that, his wings rigid. He hated when Dean called him _'darlin''_ because it was what Alistair used to call him when they were being intimate.

"Don't call me that," he snapped and Dean chuckled.

"Sure thing, _darlin'_."

Castiel opened the cupboard with a little more aggression than necessary.

"Are you here for a purpose, Dean or are you just trying to irritate me, because if it's the latter I will not hesitate to punch you."

"Tough talk for such a little guy," mocked the demon and Cas whirled to face him, wings high and ready for a fight. 

It wouldn't be the first time they'd traded punches and it probably wouldn't be the last but Cas was by no means weak and could hold his own against the larger demon.

However, Dean just held his hands up. 

"Not looking for a fight."

Cas frowned and let his wings drop, but kept alert in case the demon was tricking him.

"What do you want then?"

Castiel was surprised when a sheepish expression crossed Dean's face for a brief moment, before the cocky smirk was back in place.

"Haven't spoken to my brother since we first arrived at this dump, so I was wondering when I would be allowed to talk to him again?"

Cas blinked then snorted. 

"So you can collaborate on the next part of the plan to infiltrate angelic headquarters? I don't think so." He turned back to the cupboard and took pleasure in the fact that he could practically feel Dean's scowl.

"That's not fair! I haven't seen my brother in three months! How would you like to be separated from your siblings?"

Castiel chuckled. "I wouldn't. But then again, I'm not so I guess that works out for me, doesn't it?"

"Come on! A video chat, a phone call, anything! I've been holed up here for weeks with nothing to do and only you for company; which isn't pleasant by the way and you're going to deny me contact with my own brother?"

Castiel stood up and turned to the enraged demon.

"Yes," he said simply and laughed in disbelief when Dean's face fell.

"What do you expect? You have done nothing but find ways to infuriate me in your time here. I still can't be sure whether you are telling the truth about your reasons for being here, in fact, I am convinced that you aren't and then there's those few occasions where you have actually had the nerve to _hit_ me in my own home. I can't really see a reason why I should grant you this kindness."

Dean's mouth fell open and his wings puffed up in anger.

"What about those times that you started attacking me, huh? What about all those times where you and your friends never left me alone because you were too busy grilling me with questions I don't have answers to? And if you're that bothered about my presence, why haven't you called your bosses yet? Oh, I know, it's because you know that you don't have any hard evidence against me and the only reason I treat you the way I do is because you treat me in exactly the same way!"

Cas grew thin lipped.

"My answer is still _no_."

Dean growled lowly, but turned on his heel and stalked into the living room and Cas heard a loud crash as what he assumed was a glass hit the floor.

Castiel sighed; a habit he seemed to have developed during the demon's time with him and he continued cooking their evening meal in a heavy silence.

 

* * *

 

Neither demon seemed to be giving information and Gabriel was impressed by the cautiousness. Sam had seen through all his attempts to wheedle any intelligence from him and had grown quiet every time he spotted them.

Gabriel had been forced to seek out new methods, which meant earning the demon's trust and that meant performing random acts of kindness and not asking any more questions until the demon opened up to him.

The first step in his plan had been to buy Sam a puppy, as it was something he had managed to drag from the Winchester; his love for animals.

But as he watched the puppy get bigger and Sam's devotion to him grow, Gabriel was beginning to wonder how long he would be able to keep going with his little scheme.

The truth was that Sam looked happy around Riot and nothing at all like the trained killer he had been warned about. He had caught the demon many times lying on the floor with the bundle of fluff crawling all over him and Sam was laughing through it all. Honestly laughing. No acting involved, no choosing words carefully, just having some good, child-like fun.

At first, Sam had frozen every time he realised Gabriel had seen him and his expression had cleared and he would stare cooly at the archangel as he asked what he wanted, but as time went by, Sam became more and more comfortable with Gabriel popping in every so often and would usually stay on the floor with Riot until Gabriel said what he needed and left. 

However, it was still a surprise when he watched the puppy pin the demon, only for Sam to look up with an actual grin, his wings fluttering playfully and ask for Gabriel to toss him the ball.

Stunned, Gabriel did and Riot, now a lot bigger, wagged his tail with such force that his rear end shook.

Sam laughed as the dog panted at Gabriel and he shoved Riot off himself with a mock growl.

Riot scrabbled to stay upright then leapt at Sam, furiously licking any part of Sam he could reach as the demon tried to fight him off.

"Gabe, help me!" Giggled the demon as the animal's tongue went for his face and suddenly, the archangel felt excited at the idea of being able to just goof around with someone without having to act proper because of his status.

"Hold on, Kiddo," grinned Gabe, making sure Riot knew what was going on and the dog lowered himself to his front paws in preparation to fight off two playmates.

Gabriel bowled into the dog and Riot jumped at him, changing the focus of his attack onto Gabriel and the archangel groaned when he felt the slobber trickle down his face.

He heard Sam laugh and the sound of a ball bouncing on the floor and immediately, the onslaught stopped as Riot dove for the tennis ball. When he caught it, he sprinted back towards Gabriel and dropped it in his lap.

Suddenly, Gabriel grew concerned about what Sam would think about his dog bypassing him for Gabriel and he glanced at the demon, but Sam still wore a bright grin even though he was breathing heavily and Gabe couldn't see any resentment in those eyes. 

He threw the ball and Riot bounded after it, this time dropping it in Sam's lap. Sam laughed quietly and threw the ball again and Riot returned it to Gabriel. The pattern continued for a few minutes and the ball grew steadily more moist until it was literally wetting the carpet.

"Am I gonna need a new floor by the end of this month?" Chuckled Gabriel softly and Sam smiled.

"You knew the risks when you bought him."

"Never thought I'd need an interior decorator though."

Sam shook his head good-naturedly as he looked over to the angel. He seemed about to say something when he realised who he was talking to and the smile fell, his wings dropping and his head turned to face forwards.

Gabriel felt an unfamiliar ache inside him and he sighed internally, but he plastered his smirk back on and climbed to his feet.

"Right then, thanks for the interlude, but now I've got to go and act all professional otherwise my brothers will think I'm slacking."

The corner of Sam's lip twitched and Gabriel's wings fluttered minutely, but the demon refused to look at him and the golden appendages drooped, his smirk slipping for a second before he left the room.

 

* * *

 

Dean hated Balthazar, he hated Castiel and he hated every angel who decided to drop in for a visit. He was not some rare oddity to be ogled or grilled and he most certainly wasn't Castiel's servant!

"Tell your friends next time they come that if they, for some inexplicable reason, decide that I'm your maid, I will stab them in the eye with a fork," seethed Dean as he attempted to scrub red wine off his shirt, which had been _'accidentally'_ spilled by one of Castiel's house guests from a few minutes earlier; a kid named Constantine.

Cas rolled his eyes. 

"That's an excellent way to land yourself in the care of Naomi. I'm sure she would be happy to take you off my hands."

Dean growled. "You put me anywhere near that creature and I will make sure her death is long and painful."

"You're not making a very convincing case for yourself if you want me to believe your intentions here are innocent. Try acting civilised."

Dean gave up with the ruined shirt and pulled it over his head, throwing it on the floor after the damp cloth had dragged over his face. He scowled at Cas as he towelled his face dry.

"I am civilised. You're just a prude who can't take a joke."

"I don't believe any of that was a joke. You just threatened to kill multiple people, many of whom are my friends."

"Your friends suck. I am not their slave and I don't bring food or drink to them just because I'm holed up here temporarily."

"You're part of my house, meaning you are a host to my guests."

"I _am_ a guest!"

"You've been here for four months. I'd say you lived here."

"Bite me."

Castiel sighed. "Why are you always so crude?"

"Why are you always so stiff?"

"I am wary of the fact that my apartment is home to a dangerous, pig-headed abomination."

"Right, 'cos you're always such a joy to be around!"

"At least I know how to keep my temper in check."

"If you weren't so irritating all the time, I might not have a temper! You're always so boring, predictable! Everything in your life has to be neatly scheduled; you never take any chances! That's not living, Castiel. It's going through the motions."

"I took a chance once, quite a large one and look where it got me!" Snarled Cas, tired of always being belittled by the demon and Dean rolled his eyes.

"Another thing: you are stuck on that dead romance. Guy was a jerk; get over it!"

Cas' eyes momentarily flashed bright blue at the easy dismissal of his disaster of a relationship and he puffed his feathers up in defence.

Dean caught the movement and his own wings twitched in response, but he paused when an idea crossed his mind. It was crazy and probably dangerous in more ways than one, but Dean hadn't been allowed any fun during his stay in angel land and he was beginning to grow restless. It may also be a quick way to gain the angel's trust (if past situations regarding Alistair were anything to go by), since nothing so far had worked. 

Besides, Cas wasn't all that bad looking and Dean was beginning to garner a case of blue-balls.

"Look, you hate me and I'm not too fond of you either. You're constantly grumpy and I'm bored. You need stress relief and I need a little excitement. Why don't we do something crazy?"

Dean had slowly stalked towards the angel during his speech and took pleasure in the fact that Castiel's gaze had lingered a little too long on his bare chest.

The angel's eyes had returned to their original colour and a cautious expression rested on his face. 

"What do you propose?"

The demon came to a halt in front of the other man and he made a deliberate show of raking his eyes over Castiel's body before smirking.

"No strings attached. No messy romance. Just some rough fun. What do you think?"

The angel's eyes widened and he took a step back before bumping into the couch and Dean immediately took a step forward, smirk still visible.

"You can't be serious!" Cas choked.

"Why not? Who knows? You might get a personality adjustment if you get laid every now and again and considering it's me who would be doing the laying, I think it would be a big personality adjustment."

Cas narrowed his eyes. "Your modesty astounds me."

"Nothing to be modest about. I'm good and everyone who knows me agrees."

Cas pulled a face in disgust and tried to move away, but Dean grabbed his arm.

"Don't pretend you're not interested. I know you angels seem to think sex is a taboo subject, but for my kind it's not and it's okay just to have fun once in a while. You look like you could use some fun and I definitely could, so why not kill two birds with one stone; satisfy both our needs?"

There was distinct hesitation in the angel's movements then as he unabashedly traced Dean's figure with his eyes. The demon raised his wings slightly in a small show of preening and Cas' wings quickly responded with interest. 

However, Cas turned away and Dean had the sinking feeling that his plan hadn't worked.

Which made it all the more surprising when the angel quietly asked "No strings attached?"

Dean's brain immediately got with the program and he ran his hand sensually over the edge of a white wing, smirking when the angel gasped.

"Just sex. Nothing more."

The angel shivered at the low growl of Dean's voice and his wing pressed into the touch.

Dean raised an eyebrow, not quite having anticipated the raw need coming from Castiel.

"When was the last time you were touched, angel?" He whispered as he slid between Cas' wings and buried his hands in the feathers.

A soft groan was ripped from Cas' throat and he threw his head back, eyes closed as Dean tugged at some of the feathers.

"You already know," he muttered and Dean's own wings flicked in desire at the husky tone of Castiel's voice.

"That so?" He hummed and a shocked gasp was released from the angel, which soon melted into a guttural moan as he was pulled to a strong chest and a warm hand crawled below his belt line.

Cas arched against Dean's hand and the demon chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"Someone's eager," he growled against the angel's ear and he roughly rolled his hips against Cas.

Cas whimpered and pressed insistently against Dean's hand and the demon felt strong arousal bolt through him.

He ground his hips harder and Cas whimpered again.

"Dean..."

The demon's eyes flashed black with lust and he quickly pressed the angel's front against the back of the couch. Cas immediately spread his wings wide for Dean and the demon plunged his hands deep into the feathers, ringing another gasp from the angel. 

"Needy is a good look on you, angel," murmured Dean as he grazed his lips over Cas' neck, bucking his hips harshly.

Cas whined when the hands were removed from his wings, but he groaned when fingers began tugging at his pants, pulling them down slowly until he could feel the worn fabric of Dean's trousers scratching over his bare skin. Next, he felt the ties on the back of his shirt being undone as the material slid over his wings and head and he shivered when Dean's chest pressed insistently against his back.

Hands roamed deliberately over his chest, down his stomach and eventually to his hips. 

Dean's breath tickled against his neck as the demon rutted torturously against him.

Cas growled. "Pants off."

Dean laughed. "You're giving me orders? I don't think so, darlin'. I'll give you what you want when I'm good and ready."

Suddenly, Dean found himself being pinned against the couch facing a glowing-eyed Castiel, whose hands were already working at his belt. His pants were ripped off him and the angel pressed up against him, prompting a surprised moan from the demon.

"I thought I told you never to call me that," hissed Cas and Dean closed his eyes, momentarily lost to the sensations of another body against him. It had been too long.

Cas didn't let him relax for long though and his hands gripped the demon's hips hard, attempting to find more friction. 

Dean breathed in sharply and jerked his hips in response.

"What was that about you giving me what I want?"

Dean growled at the angel's rough handling and in an attempt to regain some control he snatched at the other man's wings.

Cas' breath hitched when a finger dug into his oil gland and Dean smirked as he pushed deeper into the slick oil. The angel's thrusts paused and Dean wrapped his free hand around Cas' waist, sending him stumbling further into Dean's chest until they were practically plastered against one another.

The demon dipped a second finger into the gland and Cas' groan vibrated between them both as he buried his head into Dean's chest.

"Not so cocky now, are we?" Dean mocked.

Cas hissed as the fingers were pulled out only to dive back in again. 

"This is... this is _wrong_..." stuttered Cas as his wings responded eagerly to Dean's fingers, producing more oil, which leaked freely down his feathers.

"You're the one who wanted to be touched."

"Not like... this is too intimate." Dean's smirk widened when Cas released another groan.

"What does it matter so long as there's no strings attached? You didn't think we were just going to go basic, did you?"

Cas shuddered as a third finger slipped into the gland.

"But... only mates... only mates do this..." Cas' grip on Dean's hips tightened. "My scent... you've got my scent all over... all over you."

Dean whispered lowly as he leaned close to the angel's ear.

"Who's going to know? I'm on house arrest. It's just you and me." He nipped at Cas' jaw. "I won't tell if you don't."

Cas cried out as Dean clawed his fingers harshly over the sensitive skin of the gland.

"Besides," continued Dean. "I think you like it. I think you like the idea of someone touching you like this. I think you like the idea of someone controlling you when you're usually the one doing the controlling. When was the last time you let someone else take the reins in any part of your life, Cas?"

The angel couldn't form any words, too lost in the bliss of Dean's clever fingers working parts of him that should be reserved for intimacy with a true lover.

Dean didn't think Cas seemed too concerned that what they were doing wasn't strictly kosher. 

The angel let out another breathy moan and Dean pulled him towards the couch, flipping them both so that when they fell, Dean was on top.

Cas stuttered in protest, but Dean replaced his fingers with his tongue and the angel threw his head back and arched up.

"Dean!"

The demon grinned, taking satisfaction in the fact that he had the upper hand against his host for once and he scraped his teeth over the now-raw gland.

Cas' hands scrabbled at his back until he clutched almost painfully at the base of Dean's wings and the demon hissed in displeasure.

Castiel saw his chance and buried one hand deep into the dark feathers and the other hand worked its way to a gland. A finger plunged into the gland and Cas immediately felt the oil leaking slowly at the surface.

Dean groaned as Cas struggled to get his breathing back under control. He didn't get very far as the demon suddenly took to sucking at his throat and Dean felt his own hips moving desperately against the angel's. 

Cas exposed more of his neck for the demon and he felt the angel's grip tighten around his feathers. 

Dean's movements became jerkier and the angel arched up against him, just as desperate.

There was a flurry of movement then as Cas silently begged for more and Dean responded in an almost animalistic manner.

Dean didn't remember much after that and when he next woke up, Cas was still on the couch underneath him, snoring softly and looking peaceful. It was dark outside and Dean climbed to his feet, a little unsteadily and closed the blinds.

The clock read one-twenty-five and Dean glanced at the couch that was supposed to be his bed considering a certain angel had never got around to obtaining one. He sighed and internally cursed Castiel before moving to one of the hard arm chairs and curling up. He knew better than to go into Cas' room after the angel had explicitly told him not to and he wouldn't be surprised if the man had cameras wired around the walls. If he wanted to gain the angel's trust, he would be better doing as asked of him.

He glanced one more time at the angel, noting how much younger and happier he looked when not worrying about his work and the fact that there was a traitorous demon living in his apartment. 

Dean closed his eyes; at least if he had to go through with the plan to trick Castiel (and he would trick and use him, just like Alistair had), there was the upside that the angel wasn't a bad lay.

 

* * *

 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Sam. My brother has told me a lot about you," drawled Gabriel's older brother.

"All good things I hope," replied Sam, sounding more confident than he felt. 

Lucifer smiled lazily.

Demons everywhere knew of this particular angel. His attitude differed somewhat from the stereotypical angel and some rumours stated that the bronze-winged angel was actually part demon.

This was of course, untrue as Lucifer came from the same family as Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, but his manner was certainly reminiscent of a demon's. He enjoyed violence decidedly more than the average angel and it was easy to see why so many demons were frightened of him, considering his methods of gathering intel didn't exactly adhere to the angels' code of morals.

Many demons had gone _'missing'_ at the hands of Lucifer. Some angels had as well if they weren't loyal.

He always made sure that he never got caught and that was probably what made him the most terrifying; the fact that he could lurk in the shadows and not be seen before he attacked with swift, calculated and precise movements. He could kill quickly or make it a slow, painful, drawn out affair. Either way, no one ever knew exactly how he did it, even when the body was found.

"Brother, what have I told you about scaring my guests?" Chirped Gabriel as he entered the lounge and Sam had never been quite so relieved to see him.

Lucifer made a face somewhere between a pout and a smirk.

"Sam isn't scared of me, are you?" 

Sam tried not to gulp as sharp eyes turned to him.

"Of course not."

Lucifer grinned toothily and Sam was reminded of the sharks from _'Finding Nemo'_.

Gabriel shook his head and sat down beside Sam, facing his brother.

Sam really wanted to get rid of those few inches between him and his host and just bury himself into Gabriel's side. How could the golden-winged angel be so comfortable with his psycho of a brother under his roof?

"Is everything alright, Sam?" Asked Lucifer as he eyed the demon like a predator watches its prey. Even Gabriel had turned to him with a look of curiosity.

Sam was momentarily confused until he realised that his wings were shaking quite noticeably. He stilled them and smiled apologetically at the two brothers, although it came out more nervous than anything else.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow as Lucifer smirked.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?"

_Yes._

"No."

Gabriel turned to stare reproachfully at his brother.

"Not to sound rude, although you have already rendered Sam a quivering mess," commented Gabriel as Sam frowned and Lucifer's smirk got wider, "But is there a reason for your presence here or do you just like terrifying the younger ones?"

Lucifer chuckled. "As much as that last one amuses me," he stared pointedly at Sam, who shrivelled up a little inside, "I do have a reason for being here."

The second oldest archangel shifted and he perched himself on the end of the seat. "Our guests have been with us for approximately four months and in that time we have not heard one peep out of the demon forces. Sure, they're not on complete radio silence, but there's been no attacks, not even little ones, no system hacks, no hostage situations, no attempt at even crossing the border and I'm beginning to grow concerned. It's almost as if they're waiting for something... or someone." His gaze snapped to Sam. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow as his eyes slid to the demon and Sam tilted his wings as if in thought. Obviously Lucifer thought he would try his hand at breaking Sam, but the younger Winchester would not slip up just because of the angel's reputation.

He frowned and pulled a face as if thinking carefully about Lucifer's question, before letting his expression fall into an apologetic one.

"I'm afraid not. Crowley can be unpredictable so it's difficult to suggest what he's thinking." The angels already knew this but it sounded as if Sam was willing to at least try and help the angels even if he couldn't give them any real information.

Lucifer wasn't so easily fooled.

"I wonder," he commented as he leaned back on the chair. "Tell me, if the demons had already placed someone in our midst and I'm not pointing any fingers, but if they had and this demon was of high rank, say the best in the agency, would the bosses risk an attack, however small, if it presented the possibility of injuring or even revealing their spy?"

Sam hesitated and a smile slowly crept across Lucifer's face.

"I suppose so," agreed Sam as he feigned his expression of realisation, as though serious contemplating the meaning of Lucifer's words. "The only problem is, Dean and I are the only demons I know of who are currently residing on this side of the border, so unless Dean knows someone else this spy is very well hidden, or there is no spy and Crowley has something else up his sleeve."

Lucifer's smile morphed into something more forced. "Considering you were the first ones to mention your boss' plan of planting someone in our base, I'd say that this 'spy' isn't very well hidden at all."

"Then maybe you're looking in the wrong place."

Lucifer paused as he contemplated the taller man.

"What they say about you is correct, Winchester. You can hold your tongue. Better than most, actually. I must admit I'm impressed."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "It was once said that anything anyone says before the word 'but' doesn't really count."

Lucifer smirked. " _But_ , you choose your words carefully before you speak. One would almost get the impression that you are making up your truths, or at least stretching them."

Sam scowled, his patience wearing thin. "I apologise if it sounds as though I'm misleading you, but it gets tiresome when I'm being questioned every day by people I don't know and who obviously believe I have done something wrong. I realise I have made mistakes in my past, but you must understand that they are truly behind me. I choose my words so as not to offend, a sign of respect. You are, after all, an archangel. It wouldn't do my plea any good if I upset you or your brothers." He lowered his wings in a small show of submission for good measure.

Lucifer's expression was neutral, but Sam had the feeling that the archangel had not completely bought his explanation and would be asking questions again in the near future.

For now though, Lucifer seemed satisfied with Sam's behaviour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the latest installment! Drop a comment if you have any thoughts or criticisms or even if you just liked a particular part.


	6. Chapter 6

Castiel moaned as Dean's naked body pressed him against the wall. He clawed desperately at the demon's wings, taking more than a little satisfaction in Dean's uncomfortable hiss. He was rewarded with a painful jolt to his hips by Dean's own as his pelvis was pinned against the unforgiving wall.

The demon lunged for his collar bone and Cas threw his head back with a groan as he hooked a leg over Dean's waist. Dean quickly propped the other leg on his own waist until Cas was being held up only by the wall and Dean's grip.

The angel's breath stuttered as Dean took what he wanted and Cas attempted to prove he wasn't the only one being used in their _'relationship'_ as he tightened his legs around Dean's body and repositioned him to where he wanted him to be.

Dean growled lowly in irritation, but Cas paid him no mind as pleasure washed over him and he soon found both himself and Dean crumpled on the floor, breathing raggedly.

Dean did not look at him as he climbed to his feet and stalked to the couch, pulling on his underwear when he reached his destination and plopped onto the cushion wordlessly, never once acknowledging his partner.

Castiel watched him and when it became clear that the demon was bunking down for the night, the angel crawled to his feet, picked up his own clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

When he was finished, he made his way to the bedroom, but not without sneaking a quick glance at Dean. The demon seemed to have drifted off to sleep, but the wing that was draped over the back of the couch, Cas noticed, had fewer feathers in one area and some which remained were broken or falling out. 

The angel felt a brief stab of guilt as he realised that that was the area where he'd gripped Dean in their hasty relief session and he had to wonder, not for the first time, if he would be better being a little more gentle with the demon. He shook the thought away when he remembered the few injuries he'd sustained due to Dean's rough manhandling. 

Even so, he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt as he gazed at the damaged wing. 

He and Dean had been having their 'sessions' for just under three weeks and Cas had to admit that it was a useful strategy to rid himself of the responsibilities and hardships of his day. He found himself more able to relax when he was away from work and it felt good to not have to act polite and proper when with the demon. 

Besides, Castiel had always wanted vengeance for what Alistair had done to him and Dean _was_ a demon after all. It felt good to release his anger on a sworn enemy.

Dean seemed to be less restless as well, although it was clear he still felt somewhat pent-up with not being allowed outside on his own and not being permitted to contact his brother.

Their attitudes never altered towards each other even though they were performing rather intimate acts with one another and Dean had been true to his word when he said it would just be sex between them. They never kissed during these sessions and that somehow made it easier for Cas to convince himself that Dean wasn't trying to trick him into anything; nothing like how Alistair had fooled him. This demon wanted nothing more than relief where Alistair had fooled Cas into thinking he'd wanted something closer. He even managed to tell himself that it could be an opportunity to play Dean and see what secrets he was keeping under the guise of amnesty seeker.

As far as Dean was concerned, Cas couldn't trust him more than he could throw him.

Still, that wing looked painful and Cas wasn't a sadist.

When morning rolled around, Dean awoke later than usual as his alarm clock had mysteriously switched itself off overnight and there was a steaming hot mug of coffee resting on the table beside him.

 

* * *

 

"So, Sammykins, know any good stories?"

It was amusing to watch as both Riot and Sam lifted their heads in unison to focus on Gabe, who was lounging on the couch with a book high in the air; obviously having lost interest a good half an hour ago.

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Most of my stories consist of warfare."

Gabriel groaned exaggeratedly. "How come everyone I know only have war stories? I'm tired of war, tell me something else."

The demon frowned as he shifted to accommodate his and Riot's game of tug.

"Like what?"

Gabriel dropped the book behind the couch, grinning slightly at Sam's wince and turned on his side to face his guest.

"What was your childhood like? What fun did you get up to with your brother? Did you have any pets? What were your friends like?"

It was the next stage of Gabriel's plan to earn the demon's trust. If he got to know Sam a little better; ask him about his life outside of the war, get to know his likes and dislikes, it may be easier to earn his trust and for him to coax the truth out of the demon.

Lucifer's words from a few weeks previous had stirred Gabriel's curiosity and Sam's diligence in the matter piqued his interest even further; what was the Winchester hiding?

Sam paused in his game and turned to face Gabe fully, a suspicious expression marring his features.

"Why do you want to know?"

Gabe shrugged casually.

"I'm bored. You're new and shiny. Tell me something interesting."

This time both of Sam's eyebrows raised in incredulity and he hesitated so long that Gabriel thought his request was going to go ignored.

"There was one time when I was four and Dean eight, he wanted to teach me how to fly because dad never seemed to have the time. He took me into the tallest tree in our back yard and told me to 'jump and flap'. I jumped, panicked and flapped my arms instead. Our uncle was walking past the house at the time and he said he heard a bird-like screech and ran into the garden to find Dean practically laying an egg about how he'd murdered his own brother. I'd only fallen four feet and my ankle was just sprained, but Dean was asking uncle Bobby to take him to the police station and have him locked up for fratricide."

Gabriel grinned. 

"I remember running to Lucifer when I was very young and asking him to 'not lock me up in juvy' after I spray painted Michael's wings purple."

Sam let out a genuine laugh. "You painted your brother's wings purple?"

"Yup. And of course, Lucifer being Lucifer did actually call the cops and told them what I'd done. I was mortified and burst into tears, not realising my big bro was holding back laughter and the police were snickering down the line. Luci told me the authorities would be arriving shortly to lock me away for the rest of my life and I was so young that I actually believed him. Father couldn't get me out of my room for two days."

Sam laughed and Gabriel was delighted at the free-sounding tone.

"I remember dying Dean's feathers neon pink once. He was in the shower and there was this shriek as he realised that they actually were his wings. Of course at the time, I hadn't realised the dye was what they used to paint fences when they wanted a permanent coat. It took him three weeks to get it out."

Gabriel howled with laughter. "Wow. I wish I'd thought of that! I can't imagine Michael or Raphael with paint on their wings for that long. They'd never leave the house! I admire your brother for carrying on with his life."

Sam chuckled. "He didn't want to at first. Wouldn't go to school for three days until dad literally kicked him out of the house. He wouldn't speak to me for a whole month."

Gabriel smirked. "Can't really blame him. Not a colour I'd think to style my wings in."

Sam's eyes focused on Gabriel's and the angel couldn't help but feel pleasure at the way his eyes reflected his smile.

"At the time I was upset and I thought Dean would never forgive me, but as we grew older, we started to laugh about it, although it didn't stop Dean from painting pink hearts on my wings when I was asleep."

Gabriel's grin widened as he imagined a furious young Sam with little hearts dotted across his chocolate wings and an older brother laughing beside him.

"Hey! Don't imagine it!" Laughed Sam as his wings fluffed up in mock offence. 

The archangel's wings lifted playfully.

"Oh, so you're saying for me to see it for myself? I wonder where I left my paint brush?"

Sam snorted and threw Riot's rope toy at Gabriel's head. Gabriel caught the toy with ease and wiggled his eyebrows at Sam, who shook his head in amusement.

Suddenly, there was an excited bark as Riot sprinted across the floor and threw himself at Gabriel. 

The air rushed out of Gabriel's lungs as the lump of fur bowled into his stomach and he let out a soft "oomph".

Riot grappled with the angel to retrieve his toy and when he jumped off the couch, Sam fell over with laughter at Gabriel's state.

One golden wing was draped over his head, its feathers ruffled and he was covered from head to foot in white and grey fur. His amber eyes were wide and startled and his mouth was frozen in a little 'O' shape. His hair was stuck up in random directions and one cheek was slick with drool. His body was plastered into the couch with his hands held out in front of him as if grasping for something and Sam praised Riot in between giggles for such 'good work'.

Gabriel blinked rapidly a few times before coming to life and jumping off the couch to shake himself down. 

"Don't encourage him," mock warned Gabriel with a glare.

The smile that crossed Sam's face could only be described as 'evil'. 

"Good boy, Riot! Who's a clever boy? Who's the best dog in the world?" Sam cooed loudly as he scrubbed his fingers through the Australian Shepherd's fur, Riot's tail wagging faster and faster as his eagerness grew.

Gabriel growled playfully. "Bad dog. Naughty boy." He slowly advanced on the pair, wings puffed high, but fluttering gently thereby giving away Gabriel's actual mood.

When he got close enough, Sam, eyes sparkling with mischief, yelled "Get him!" and Riot bounded towards the archangel with all the agility of an animal born to herd livestock. 

Gabe's eyes widened and once again he was bowled over by Riot. This time he fought back, much to Riot's delight and when Gabriel was finally allowed to sit up, Sam was beaming back at him. They were a lot closer now and Gabriel could clearly see the demon's sharp hazel eyes glinting with mirth. 

It was the most Sam had ever opened up to him since arriving at his home and Gabriel momentarily forgot that the demon was practically his prisoner and a trained killer. In that moment all he saw was the little boy who dyed his brother's wings bright pink. 

However, Gabriel's mind cleared when Sam's smile slowly faded and he turned his gaze to the floor as if he himself had only just remembered where he was and who he was with.

Gabriel's face fell along with his wings as the silence between them stretched on and on. He slowly climbed to his feet and made to leave, but paused as he watched Sam's wings droop slightly. 

"Thanks for the stories," he offered, surprised at the disappointment washing over him when Sam merely nodded without raising his eyes. Gabriel wondered fruitlessly at why he was disappointed as he ambled to the kitchen, noting Riot's lowered ears and tail tucked between his legs as he did so.

 

* * *

 

Five and a half months into his stay in angel territory Dean was really beginning to miss his brother. Whilst they could use their sibling bond to communicate, they'd agreed that it may look suspicious if they kept contacting each other through it every day, even if their intentions were innocent. Although many people didn't notice when a bond of any sort was being used, agents as high ranking as Castiel and Gabriel certainly would if they already had their suspicions. 

The Winchesters may be able to talk to others whilst using their bond, but it was still easy to tell what was going on if you cared to look for it.

When a bond was being used, the person's eyes would become a little more unfocused as if they were staring through you and some people who weren't trained to keep their emotions under control would let their wings quiver minutely. 

Naturally this last one wasn't a problem for Sam and Dean but some people who were new to bonds, such as lovers or new mothers, suffered greatly from the symptom. 

There were three bonds: bonds between parents and children were the weakest, with parents or children only being able to feel basic emotions from the other end; bonds between siblings a little stronger, where siblings could feel emotions and a few determined thoughts; and bonds between lovers strongest. Nothing was kept secret in these bonds, which is why so many people opted to never have this connection with someone else. It was permanent and once forged, your partner would know everything about you.

Unfortunately, Sam and Dean would most probably be found out if they used their sibling bond as they were unable to prevent the un-focusing of their eyes; a trait Castiel and especially Gabriel would pick up on immediately.

So they had had no contact whatsoever since their arrival.

Curiously enough, Dean had other worries. 

About three weeks ago, Dean had woken up after one of his and Castiel's 'relief sessions' to find the angel had let him sleep in and had made him a drink to wake up to before he had left for work. 

Confused and suspicious, Dean had thrown away the coffee and made his own before interrogating Cas about it later that night. For his efforts he got an annoyed, yet obtuse angel, some angry couch sex and a bruised arm.

The next morning, there was a similar occurrence to what he'd awoken to the previous morning. This time he drank the coffee.

That evening, when he confronted Cas about it (a lot less aggressively), the angel shrugged with one shoulder and got up to wash the dishes. 

Dean came away from their session with no injuries.

The next morning there was no coffee and Dean soon realised what had caused Cas' sudden bout of kindness, opting to ignore the fact that Cas had once again let him sleep in.

However, when he walked into the kitchen, he spotted a note on the fridge reading _'Out of coffee. Pie in fridge if you want it'._

Dean frowned and sure enough there was a single slice of pecan pie in the fridge brought home from the angel's work; most likely one of Gabriel's creations. Obviously Cas still felt guilty.

Cas' guilt was delicious Dean decided as he licked his fingers.

The pattern of coffee and lie-in continued for the next five days and on the sixth, Dean felt the urge to do something small in return.

That morning, instead of his usual rushed dry piece of toast and black coffee to kick start the day, Cas awoke to a full cooked breakfast and a creamy latte, his research from the previous evening already filed into his briefcase so Cas could enjoy his breakfast. 

Cas seemed startled and turned to question his demonic guest, but Dean was already buried under a blanket on the couch, looking for all the world like he was fast asleep. He wasn't but he didn't want to admit to himself that he'd actually done something nice for an angel, especially Castiel.

Still, he managed to catch Cas' rare, secretive smile usually reserved for Balthazar as he put on his trench coat and quietly left the room.

Since then, the pair had been performing little random acts of kindness for each other nearly every day, without ever actually facing one another or admitting to themselves that the new development in their 'relationship' was actually rather pleasant.

They still argued heatedly and insulted and interrogated one another to no end, but their battles ended with fewer physical fights and sometimes, during their less intense moments, they even got to know a little bit about each other. Small tidbits, but nevertheless they were still learning.

Dean was still an irritating, aggressive abomination and Castiel was still a cold, unfeeling prude, but Dean came to (reluctantly) admit that the angel was becoming less and less of each of those things the longer he spent with him. Little did he know that Castiel was beginning to think the same of him.

That was what was worrying him. 

Castiel was an angel; a highly ranked one at that and all his life Dean had been taught he was supposed to despise them, even more so when both his parents died at their hands. They were supposed to be cold-blooded murderers, only interested in wiping out the entire demonic population. They were all supposed to be like Naomi; torturers and calculating killers. They were supposed to be stuck-up creatures who had no feelings or emotions; beings that could almost be called computers.

Except since when did murderers bring their demonic guests their favourite type of pie home from work, hand-made by their fantastic chef of an adoptive brother? Were angels supposed to have friends come around, only to drop all of their emotional barriers and support each other when they thought their demonic prisoner wasn't watching? Was Dean supposed to like that rare secretive smile Cas wore whenever he thought Dean wasn't watching after the demon had done something nice for him?

Dean was beginning to grow very concerned indeed.

 

* * *

 

"So I figured you were getting a little bored of being around the house all the time and since you've been on such good behaviour, I decided to ask Michael if you could maybe get a job. You know, earn your keep around here," commented Gabriel one afternoon after a rather impromptu meeting with his brother.

Sam raised an eyebrow in surprise, more excited than he was willing to admit at the prospect of being allowed outside.

"What kind of job?"

Gabriel frowned in a thoughtful manner. 

"Originally I tried to get you a job at the local library, considering how much you seem to love books." He grinned sheepishly. "They... uh... they said no."

Sam snorted. He was surprised Gabriel hadn't thought to himself how the librarian would react when asked to employ a demon, after all, who knew what kind of information could be stored on some of those pages? It wouldn't do to give information away to a demon under investigation. 

Yet, Sam was oddly touched by Gabriel's concern for his interests. Not only had the archangel decided to go out of his way to alleviate Sam's boredom, he'd carefully looked for something that catered to Sam's personality.

Gabriel continued. "I tried a couple of places I thought you might like, but the only one that responded with a _'yes'_ was the dogs and cats home. They're terribly understaffed and I think they're probably willing to accept anyone at this point. It's not very glamorous but at least you get to work with some fluffy animals, right?"

The angel did an uncharacteristic shift from one foot to the other as though he was worried Sam wouldn't like the opportunity, which was strange considering Sam was an enemy and a prisoner.

Sam, however, thought it was perfect; a chance to work outside in the summer sunshine, rehoming animals that needed a second chance. It felt like he would actually be doing some good in the world whereas before, all he'd ever done was fight a war using dirty tricks as a special agent.

His excitement must have shown because Gabriel's gaze flicked to his wings and the corners of his mouth turned up in amusement. Sam didn't miss the way Gabriel's own wings fluttered in response, obviously pleased by Sam's reaction.

"Sounds great," Sam stated, playing down his eager anticipation. "When do I start?"

"Next monday. They said Riot can come with you if he's going to be alone in the house all day."

Riot yapped at the mention of his name.

"However," continued Gabriel before Sam could speak. "The rules are you have to go straight to and come straight home from work. No stopping to walk around town or visiting your brother, if you even know where he is. Your hours are eight 'til six and it takes exactly fifty-three minutes to get from here to the home. I expect you back by seven. Clear?"

Sam nodded obediently, understanding why the rule was set in place, but slightly annoyed that he still hadn't managed to convince Gabriel to fully trust him. However, the archangel was letting him leave the house, which meant that he did trust the demon to some extent. A small victory, at least. 

Gabriel's eyes brightened. "All that muscle can go to some good use now," he winked and Sam lowered his head slightly in embarrassment at the compliment.

Gabriel chuckled. "Play nice with your new co-workers, they seemed a little frazzled when I visited. Like I said, they're incredibly understaffed. They might be a little cold when you meet them considering you've got dark wings and they've not, but hopefully they'll warm up to you and if not, at least you get to play with the animals."

The corners of Sam's mouth turned upwards.

"Thanks, Gabe."

The archangel paused for a fraction of a second at the sincerity in his tone before replying "no problem, kiddo" and he nodded at the demon as he walked away, but Sam didn't miss the hesitation and the flicker of surprise behind his eyes.

The demon smiled to himself. He was getting better at reading Gabriel.


	7. Chapter 7

Cas silently watched Dean sigh as the demon tossed his recently finished book to the floor, still lying flat out on the couch.

The angel was reminded immediately of Gabriel and he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"I'd almost think you were stalking me if I didn't already sleep with you," commented Dean without turning his head.

Cas huffed and turned back to the fridge, hoping to find some insight as to what to make for lunch. Bare shelves greeted him.

Weekends tended to be longer than Castiel liked, especially before Dean had arrived. Castiel had been left alone with only his thoughts and regrets for company and more often than not, memories of his doomed relationship haunted his mind for hours at a time when he had no work and no brothers to distract him.

After Dean had arrived, weekends weren't quite as lonely, but the mere sight of the demon's oak wings threw his thoughts back to Alistair and the knife he'd held as he'd tried to rip into Castiel's throat. 

Fortunately, Dean's attitude towards him differed greatly from that of his ex-lover's. Unfortunately, it proved to be for the worse. 

Although, Cas reasoned, Dean couldn't be any worse than a lover who'd supposedly adored him, discussed grace bonding with him, lived with him for years, promised to protect him and then turned out to only be interested in ridding the world of the entire angelic population.

"You still alive?"

Dean's voice shattered Cas' musing and he rolled his eyes, more out of habit than any real irritation with the demon. Truthfully he was thankful when Dean's obnoxious personality was enough to derail these dark thoughts of his younger years and their arguments provided ample distraction for his wandering mind.

"It's not been medically tested, but I should assume so."

"Pity," came Dean's reply but it lacked its usual heat.

Cas stared into the fridge once more, hoping for some inspiration, but the shelves were as empty as the last time he looked.

He pulled a long-suffering face and turned back to the living area.

Dean was staring hopelessly at the ceiling.

Feeling the need to get away from the depressing atmosphere the apartment seemed to hold (which Cas had never noticed before but now it was glaringly obvious with its sparse interior and clinically white walls), the angel made for the door, grabbing his trench coat along the way.

Without really thinking he said "Come on, Dean."

The demon lifted his head with a raised eyebrow and an interested tilt to his wings.

Cas lifted his own eyebrow impatiently, wondering why Dean looked so confused and why he wasn't moving to get ready.

"What?"

Dean sat up properly, his expression even more puzzled.

"Are we going somewhere?"

"What does it look like?"

The demon tilted his head and Cas sighed.

"We have no food in because I forgot to do a run last night after coming in so late. Are you coming or not?"

"...Am I allowed to come?"

Cas scrunched his nose up. "Why wouldn't you be allow-?" He abruptly cut himself off as his brain registered the dark wings and what that signified. He shook his head in a futile attempt to speed up his thought process. He'd been daydreaming more than usual today and it seemed his logic had suffered for it. 

This _'doing kind favours for each other'_ thing that he and Dean had going on was obviously messing with his brain. Dean was supposed to be his enemy and here he was letting his guard down in front of him.

Still, Dean had been cooped up in the (morbid) apartment for just over six months with no outside contact other than the people who visited Castiel and they tended to hold Dean with little regard. 

Not that Castiel cared; Dean was a demon after all... but it couldn't hurt to let the other man stretch his legs for a while, could it? Dean had made Castiel's dinner for him last night when the angel had arrived home late and exhausted after an emergency involving HQ security. 

Dean was staring at him with more than a little hope in his eyes and Cas was reminded of a young child who'd just been offered a trip to the ice cream shop.

Not wanting to think about the reasons of why he may regret the decision later, Cas shrugged his coat on and opened the door.

"Don't stray from my sight," he muttered and was surprised at the speed the demon bounced off the couch, slipped his shoes on and practically attached himself at Cas' side.

He noticed the excited flutter of Dean's wings and held back an amused smile.

When they returned in the evening, Castiel admitted he'd never seen the demon so well-behaved.

 

* * *

 

"Charlie's kind of awesome," grinned Sam, drying the dishes as Gabriel handed them to him.

"Charlie?" Gabe asked, smirking at how enthusiastic Sam had become about his new job and how talkative the demon was when he came back to the house in the evenings. Even Riot was more lively.

"She works with the dogs. Only there on weekends. I think she's some sort of computer hacker."

Gabriel paused. "Charlie Bradbury?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"

Gabriel laughed. "Know her? She works under me in ICT! She's our most capable techie. I didn't know she worked with animals on her off days."

Sam glanced at the angel, his smile lingering. 

"She's actually really good with them; I've not met a dog yet who hasn't fallen completely in love with her. I've never seen someone handle five fully grown German shepherds the way she does. The first day they made me walk a Westie and it dragged me half way across the yard!"

Gabriel snorted. "You got dragged by a dog the size of your foot?"

Sam pouted, but his eyes were bright with amusement.

"Hey! He was determined to make a break for it!"

Gabe shook his head. "You, a man over six feet tall with muscles the size of footballs, were pulled across a field by a creature no bigger than a shoebox? That's adorable."

"Shut up."

"How do you fair with the Chihuahuas? Or are they too fierce for you as well?"

"They don't have any."

"Good thing then."

"Gabe!"

The archangel laughed loudly and Sam, in a fit of childishness, stuck his tongue out.

Gabriel raised his eyebrows before an idea came to mind. He dipped the sponge in the sink and proceeded to flick soapy water at Sam's face.

The demon ducked his head and raised his hands up in a mixture of surprise and defence until his mind registered what was happening. His wings flicked in what Gabriel realised was delight and the demon huffed out a laugh with a cry of _"Stop!"_ as the feathered appendage swung around to protect him. 

Gabriel's grin widened as he continued to spray water over the younger man, intrigued by the demon's carefree expression. 

"Cut it out, Gabe!" 

The archangel did no such thing, instead saturating the sponge and lunging for Sam in a way similar to how he used to prank his brothers when he was younger.

Sam gasped in surprise as the cold water trickled down his shirt and he tried to dodge the playful angel. With years of experience with three older brothers, Gabriel anticipated his move and managed to hold the cackling demon still as he squeezed the water down Sam's chest.

Sam's wings twitched as they threw Gabriel off and soon the pair were wrestling with each other to gain possession of the sponge.

Sam gained the upper hand and turned Gabriel around to pin his arms so he could press the cool sponge onto the sensitive skin of the angel's stomach. Gabriel howled when the coldness absorbed into his flesh and he squirmed in the demon's arms until two dark wings closed around him.

Unable to move, Gabriel was manhandled towards the sink and his eyes widened when he realised what Sam was planning. He wriggled again, but the demon's strong wings held him in place as the sponge was plunged into the cooling water.

Water poured down his shirt and he threw his head back with laughter. Sam was grinning beside him and soon the sponge was pressed against his bare flesh again. 

"Sam! Please!" Gabriel wheezed as the demon held him tighter to restrict his movement.

"Please what?" The demon teased as he dunked the sponge again.

"I'm soaked!"

Sam shook his head, a mischievous sparkle in his eye that Gabriel idly decided suited him.

Suddenly, Sam lifted the sponge above Gabriel's head and the archangel cried out as water poured onto his hair and down his face.

"I washed the dishes in that!" Gabriel sputtered, but his grin betrayed his tone and Sam smirked.

"You started it."

Gabriel's mouth opened and closed before he shook his head vigorously and Sam's face was sprayed with excess water. It was a little like bath time with Riot.

The demon pulled a face and Gabriel slipped out of his grasp.

"Serves you right!" He cackled as he reached for the towel.

Sam still had his eyes closed and Gabriel couldn't resist the temptation of throwing the towel at his head.

Sam's wings drooped comically as though defeated as the towel smacked across his face and hung there. Gabriel wished he had a camera.

"I'm going to get changed," he said as he waltzed past the demon, his wings high in victory and he chuckled at Sam's exasperated eye roll. Before he left though, he turned in the archway.

"When I come back, you can tell me more about Charlie Bradbury's secret life and how you get owned by small fluffy animals."

Sam threw the towel at him. 

 

* * *

 

Castiel limped into the apartment and Dean's eyes widened when he registered the state of the angel.

"Cas?" 

The usually composed angel leaned heavily on the door as he shut it and struggled with his coat in what looked like great pain.

Dean sat up and assessed the damage.

His feathers were covered in ash and dust and some were burned or broken. His clothes were filthy with black and grey smudges, even torn in some places and his face was covered in dirt, sweat and some dark red spots which looked suspiciously like blood. His hands were battered and a red liquid flowed steadily from his knuckles.

The angel pitched forwards as his knees buckled beneath him and Dean shot off the couch to support him. The angel hissed in agony and Dean pulled him to his chest so Cas could lean into him. 

Cas gripped Dean tightly, whimpering quietly when the demon accidentally brushed a patch of broken feathers.

"What happened?" Murmured Dean as he curled his hand around the angel's waist instinctively.

Cas sighed brokenly, letting Dean take most of his weight.

"Demon attack on the school. The building was in flames when we got there and some children were still trapped inside. A few of us rushed in to rescue them, but it collapsed around us. We saved most of them, but six died; one of them a teacher, the others children." 

Cas closed his eyes and pressed his face into Dean's chest.

"Ten years old, Dean. They were ten years old, some younger. Enemies or not... how could they?"

Dean felt his heart clench, not only for the children but for the man in front of him, who had not only risked his life to save children who were barely old enough to understand the war, but who had witnessed (and taken part in) more violence and death than most people would in their entire lives, yet still mourned each and every innocent soul that was lost.

Cas' breath hitched and Dean gently ran his fingers over a damaged wing as the angel grieved. He didn't have the heart to tell the angel that many of their kind had targeted demon schools in the same way.

The angel shifted with a groan and pressed his face further into Dean's chest, grasping at his shirt almost desperately and it was then that Dean realised with a start that the angel was searching for comfort from him.

Why would the usually emotionless angel seek out a demon for reassurance? Weren't they supposed to hate each other - especially when the reason Cas was in this state was because of demons?

Despite his thoughts, Dean's immediate reaction was to rub Castiel's back soothingly and smooth down some of the disordered feathers.

Suddenly, Cas cried out and Dean froze as he felt the cool, damp area on his shirt.

He leaned over Cas' shoulder and noticed the large red spot slowly increase in size on the back of the shirt.

"You need a hospital," whispered Dean, unwilling to shatter the hushed atmosphere that seemed to have developed, even as he felt an unusual sense of growing concern for the angel.

Cas shook his head vehemently, never loosening his grip on the demon.

"Cas, you're badly injured and you don't know if anything is broken! You need-"

"I've just watched five children die under rubble as they were consumed by flames and I couldn't do a single thing to help them. Do not send me to a hospital where I have to watch other victims fight for their lives or watch the nightmares of those who were traumatised whilst I lie helpless in a cold, hard bed," hissed Cas, but Dean saw the plea in his eyes; heard the slight tremble in his voice.

The demon hesitated before finally giving in. 

"Fine. Lets clean you up though; I don't want you getting an infection."

Cas sighed and Dean heard the silent _'thank you'_.

He carefully guided the angel towards the bathroom, steadying him whenever he stumbled and his heart ached whenever Castiel held back a sob from the pain. He was too concerned for the angel to worry about why he felt like this.

When they got to the bathroom, Dean saw the problem. Cas wouldn't be able to stand in the shower, which meant he would have to sit in the bath. Unfortunately this meant that he wouldn't be able to step over the rim of the bath without assistance and even then, he wouldn't be able to reach his wings without causing himself more pain. Dean couldn't in good conscience leave the angel's wings in that state, which meant he would have to wash them for him.

He would have to clean the wings of a naked Castiel.

Cas seemed to have come to the same conclusion as he refused to meet Dean's gaze.

"You can leave now," he muttered, trying to scrape up what was left of his dignity.

Dean hesitated before moving towards the bath taps to run the water. Cas stiffened behind him before once more stating "You can leave." 

Dean glanced at him pointedly before starting towards the tense angel. As he reached for the shirt ties around the angel's wings, Cas whirled to grab his wrist, uncertainty and distrust in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked tightly, obviously trying to fight the pain his sharp movements had brought about.

Dean glared at the angel as though he was being particularly difficult. 

"Would you like to undo them yourself?"

Cas paused before conceding the point to the demon and he dropped his hand back to his side, searching Dean's face for any ill intent.

Dean huffed in a show of irritation and began undoing the ties.

"It's not as if I haven't seen you before."

But they both knew this was somehow different. More intimate than their frenzied sexual encounters now that Dean had made it abundantly clear he was trying to help Cas because he wanted to, not because he would get something out of it.

Cas remained silent as his gaze dropped from Dean's face; whatever he had been searching for he'd found.

The pair were quiet as Dean carefully removed the angel's clothes and Dean turned his eyes away from the naked angel, excusing himself to turn the taps off.

Cas limped towards the tub, but hissed when he tried to cock his leg over the rim and Dean reflexively reached out to steady him. The demon eased him into the water, noting how Cas refused to look at him and when the angel was sitting comfortably (or as comfortable as his battered body would allow) the demon moved to kneel behind his wings.

Dean grabbed the flannel from the shower as Castiel sponged the marks on his body. The demon grew more uncertain as the seconds ticked by and he stared at the white wings, overwhelmed by the damage and dirt.

"You don't have to do this," muttered Cas and Dean wanted to tell him how ridiculous it sounded; Cas was in great pain and he wouldn't be able to reach his wings without assistance. It was only logical that Dean should help him, especially considering they'd seen each other naked many times... except he couldn't.

Dean hesitantly stretched the wing out and Castiel flinched when a few broken feathers shifted. It was then that it occurred to Dean how vulnerable the angel actually was at that moment; there was no way he'd be able to defend himself if Dean decided to attack him and Dean would be able to escape.

It would have been stupid to try as he would have been quickly caught and sentenced to death by the enraged archangels, but strangely, it wasn't this thought that was foremost in his mind.

The idea of hurting the angel after everything he'd been through that day disgusted Dean and his wings raised in outrage at the thought that his people had caused Cas to be in such a state.

He frowned and dropped his wings. Why was he condemning his kind for doing something he was supposed to be in favour of? Why did seeing Castiel hurt anger him? His thoughts were becoming more and more confusing the longer he spent with the angel and he was beginning to wonder whether he was losing focus of the mission. Angels killed his parents and many of his friends, so why did he feel sympathy for the man in front of him?

"Dean?"

Castiel's soft voice broke him away from his musings.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he dipped the flannel in the already darkening water, his mind returning to the task at hand and his previous thoughts dissolving to nothing when his gaze took in the slow trickle of blood from multiple points on the massive appendage.

He gingerly pressed the cloth to the wing, tensing at Cas' quiet gasp, but continuing once he realised no protests were forthcoming. He worked meticulously over each feather, removing all the dried blood and ash and taking away each broken or damaged feather in his path. When he was done, the water was black and he quickly drained it and replaced it with fresh water. 

Castiel barely moved throughout the treatment and the muscles on his now clean back were hard and stiff as Dean gently cleaned the wounds and disinfected them. 

With the knowledge of basic first aid due to his rank, Dean carefully dried and stitched up any deep gashes, all the while trying to ignore the angel's piercing gaze.

Four hours after they'd begun, Dean stood up to survey his handiwork.

The back and wings were clean, damaged feathers plucked and any wounds had been treated. Castiel seemed more relaxed now that the pain had subsided slightly, but Dean knew that for the wings to heal more efficiently, they would have to be oiled and Dean knew for a fact that Castiel was schooling his features to mask the physical distress he still had to be suffering from.

"All that's left is to oil them," said Dean cautiously, searching the angel's face for any discomfort.

Castiel sighed and closed his eyes. "I can't do it myself."

He leaned forwards and lifted his wings and Dean had a feeling the angel had given up trying to fight him.

Still, Dean would have to stimulate Castiel's oil glands and that was about as intimate as it got. He had no idea how Doctors could face having to do it with so many patients. Surely Castiel should feel the wrongness of what they were about to do?

However, when Dean kneeled down again and awkwardly rubbed a finger over the gland, Castiel let out a deep breath and pushed his wing into the demon's hand, relaxing against the back of the tub.

Dean's eyes widened as he realised Castiel was in need of comfort despite remaining silent for the four hours that Dean had been working on him.

The demon shifted and without thinking, placed his other hand on the angel's stomach. Cas sighed at the warmth and Dean, more confidently this time, began to lightly trace his fingers over the gland. 

Due to his recent stress, Castiel's oil took longer than usual to surface and Dean's touches became more teasing as Cas moaned softly and arched into them. 

"Should've said something," whispered Dean as the hand on the angel's stomach stroked soothingly over the sensitive skin.

"Couldn't," replied the angel, just as quietly as he turned his head to seek out Dean's chest once more. "I wanted to though."

The angel must have been desperate for any kind of touch if he was willing to ask Dean for it rather than his brothers or friends. Unless he was looking for a different kind of touch, but that was unlikely after what he had been through that day. 

"There were so many children, Dean," the angel whispered and Dean swore he could hear him holding back a sob.

"I hate this war," he growled quietly but fiercely and Dean had a misplaced urge to wrap him in his wings. He blinked, startled by his own thoughts.

"I wish we could just end it. Stop all the chaos and strategic attacks. Too many innocent people are getting hurt... on both sides."

Dean had to agree. 

"I don't understand why we can't all make peace. Forget about the past; it was centuries ago when the war started, why is it still going on?" Cas frowned.

"Because bitter memories last a lifetime and people hold grudges for far longer," sighed Dean.

There was a pause before Cas murmured: "And yet here you are."

Dean's hands stilled as he glanced at the wounds he'd stitched and the patches of thinned feathers, where he'd plucked the damaged ones.

"And yet here I am," he agreed.

Cas, with some difficulty, turned to look at him and Dean held his gaze, searching the angel's eyes for what he wanted.

"Why did you come to me rather than your brothers?"

The angel looked down. "They were hurt too. I didn't want to impose and home sounded appealing..."

"And?"

"...And I guess I'm just used to you being here. No matter how down I am or how angry I feel, you are always there to distract me. You keep away the thoughts of my disastrous relationship when my mind takes a darker turn and you distract me from the reality of war and what I do for a living. You get under my skin and you rile me up and you do what nobody has had the guts to do since Alistair. You don't talk to me like I'm fragile and you're not afraid to make me angry."

Dean's eyebrows flew upwards and his eyes widened as he absorbed the angel's confession.

"You're a challenge. One minute we're at each other's throats and the next we're making each other breakfast. Just when I think I've got you figured out, you throw me a curve ball and it irritates me to no end... but you keep me interested and I want to find out more about you." 

He sighed.

"I don't really know why I came to you. I could've gone to Balthazar, Hannah, anyone really... but it just felt right coming here. I'm not sure why..."

Dean thought carefully about this information before deciding, for some unknown reason, that Cas had done the right thing and without analysing this odd decision, he stood up and began removing his own clothes.

Cas stared at him, startled, before Dean jerked his head.

"Lean forwards."

The angel did so in confusion before he gasped sharply as Dean slid into the cooling water behind him.

"De-?"

He was cut off as the demon wrapped an arm around him once more and pulled him to his chest as he restarted the teasing touches to Castiel's oil gland.

The angel melted against the other man when he felt a finger slip into the gland.

"It's easier to get to the underside of your wings this way," explained Dean in a tone that suggested that was definitely not the reason why he had suddenly decided to cuddle up to the angel.

"Oh," replied Cas, a small smile tugging at his lips for the first time that day as Dean nuzzled at his neck.

Oil pooled between Dean's fingers as the angel relaxed into him and he tenderly smoothed it into each feather, ensuring that every part of the wing was covered before moving to the next one. He rubbed slowly at the gland, smirking at the angel's groan as his free hand caressed his stomach. The oil flowed quickly this time and Dean made sure to take his time over the wing, enjoying the way Castiel pressed up against him. 

Impulsively, Dean pressed his lips to Cas' neck and the angel let his head fall back against the demon's strong chest, moving his hand to rest it over the one the demon was using to stroke his stomach. He interlaced their fingers and with his free hand, Cas ran his fingers over Dean's thigh.

Dean smiled into his neck and began trailing kisses across his shoulders. Cas hummed in contentment and Dean hazily decided he preferred to give the angel pleasure than take his own from him.

When he was finished with the wing, he wrapped his arms securely around the angel, grinning when both wings drooped over the bath tub walls and tickled his shoulders lightly. He pressed a sweet kiss to Cas' jaw and nuzzled at it when he noticed the angel had closed his eyes, that tiny secretive smile that Dean liked so much lingering on his face.

The angel opened one eye to look at Dean and the demon entertained the (manly) notion of how adorable the angel looked when he was so relaxed.

"Can we pretend for just one night that we're actually friends?" Cas asked as he settled more comfortably between the demon's legs. "As in, can we pretend that there is no war and you're not a prisoner under observation and I your warden? Can we pretend that we don't hate each other, just for tonight?"

Dean frowned as something inside him shifted uneasily at Castiel's words.

"Do we hate each other?" He asked, the words sounding bitter and altogether wrong on his tongue.

Cas stilled. "...I don't know. Do we?"

Dean's grace warmed at the confusion in Castiel's tone. The angel was just as uncertain as he was. He carefully nuzzled at Cas' jaw.

"I think we're supposed to."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed.

"I'm not sure if I do though."

"Really?" Dean smirked at the poorly concealed hopefulness, but his grace shone in light of his own excitement.

"I definitely like this though," he said instead as he tugged the angel closer.

Castiel's wings fluttered slightly, despite the pain the movement must have brought him.

The angel shifted until he was able to trail kisses down Dean's chest and the demon quickly curled his wings around the smaller man.

Not wanting Cas to aggravate his wounds further, Dean carefully repositioned him until the angel had his back to Dean's chest (to the protest of the angel), immediately wrapping his arms back around him and pressing kisses to the angel's neck once more.

"'M not going anywhere," he whispered as he held Cas tighter and the angel breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tell me something about yourself," murmured Cas and Dean raised an eyebrow. 

"We're both naked, sitting in a bath tub, the water is cold, I look like I've just had a fight with a lawn mower, we're on opposite sides of a war yet we've been sleeping with each other for weeks and we make each other breakfast in bed just to confuse everything that much more. Tell me something about yourself that actually makes sense."

Dean huffed as he leaned his head against Cas'.

"One, we're not on opposite sides of a war. In case you've forgotten, I'm an amnesty seeker." He still had a mission to complete and he wouldn't slip up just because Cas wanted comfort from him. 

Cas smiled sadly at him and Dean suddenly felt guilty for lying to him, but he had spent years learning how to train his expression into something that would never give away his emotions and he used that training now.

He pressed another kiss to Cas' jaw and the angel let it go.

"Two, it's pretty warm where I'm sitting." Dean wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Cas chuckled and leaned further into the demon's chest.

"As for a story... I remember this one time when me and Sammy were camping out in the garden. We were so young and Sammy had been watching a film about werewolves, so he was jumping at every sound and asking me what each one was. It was really late and I'd just heard the neighbour's dog leave the house to relieve itself. 

"Dad had already gone to bed, so there were no lights on in our house and our back light had gone off. I told Sammy to stop being such a baby and go to sleep. 

"When he dozed off, I slipped out of the tent and pulled the neighbours' dog into our garden and we played a game of tug until he growled. I heard Sam shoot up inside the tent and the dog howled because I'd stopped playing with him. Sam shouted my name and the dog barked. He was so scared and he screamed my name, so I opened the flap of the tent and shoved the dog in and Sammy was cowering inside his sleeping bag with the covers over his head. The dog jumped all over him and it took Sammy ages to realise that next door's Poodle was licking his face and not an eight-foot, blood-thirsty werewolf." Dean chuckled softly at the memory and Cas shook his head with a smile.

"You made your little brother believe he was being attacked by a man-eating monster?"

"Hey, he got me back the next month. Dyed my wings pink with permanent paint. He says he didn't realise it was permanent, but I don't believe that for a second."

Cas chuckled. "I don't blame him. I would've done so much worse if you were my brother."

"Hey! Don't root for him! I'm the mature one."

Cas raised an eyebrow.

"...Okay, well maybe that's not strictly true, but I'm definitely older."

"Physically, not mentally."

Dean huffed as he gently swatted Castiel over the head with a wing before settling it back down around the angel.

Cas grinned. "So mature."

"Shut up."

"Alright. Tell me something else."

"Oh no. I've already told you something about me, now it's your turn."

"I don't remember that being the deal."

"I changed the rules. Go on."

Cas idly rubbed his thumb over Dean's knuckles as he thought and the demon responded by nuzzling his hair.

"Well, I once had to be host to this annoying demon who had an obsession with pies-"

"Don't make me slap you."

"Fine... There was this one time when I was flying with my brothers, just us in a quiet forest because we all needed to unwind after the stress of the week. Things were a little tense between us and nobody was really speaking to each other, well, not until Gabriel tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to race. I hadn't relaxed and just enjoyed time with anyone for a long while, so I shot off into the distance with Gabe hot on my heels. We started twisting and turning through the trees and then Lucifer joined in. 

"I was too busy watching Gabe try to coax Michael and Raphael into having some fun to notice the hawk. There was a squawk, I veered into the tree, took out a few branches and then smacked face-first into a second tree. Gabriel said I slid all the way to the bottom of the trunk on my face and I looked like a bush when I got to the bottom. Gabe and Luci were laughing at me from the hole I'd created in the first tree and Michael was hovering over me like a mother hen - with a grin mind you - and Raph looked like he wanted to strangle me for making his work harder after he'd done a full body check. Turns out I'd broken a wing and dislocated my shoulder. 

"Raph healed me up over a few weeks and the next time we went flying, Gabe stuck a motorcycle helmet on my head."

Castiel wore a small smile as his mind became lost in the memory and Dean chuckled softly, trying to picture the angel flying into two trees as his adopted brothers laughed at him. He unconsciously rubbed his thumb over the angel's stomach and Castiel squeezed his hand without thinking.

The two continued to talk and exchange stories for the next three hours until the cold water caused goosebumps to rise and their bodies began to shake and shiver.

"C'mon," whispered Dean as he supported a sleepy Cas and they both stumbled out of the bath tub. Dean grabbed a couple of towels and they clumsily dried each other off. 

Leaving their clothes crumpled on the floor, they staggered to the bedroom, Dean pausing once to make sure he had permission to enter and with a nod and eye-roll from Cas, the pair shuffled to the bed. Dean carefully tucked the angel in and whispered a _"Good night"_ as he turned the lights off, noting the clock that read '3:14'. 

He watched the angel settle for a few moments before he sighed almost longingly and turned on his heel to leave. 

As the door closed quietly behind him, he never noticed the angel staring at him, a crestfallen look in his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Sam had the odd urge to wrap his wings around Gabriel. What was even stranger was that the demon had the feeling that if the other three archangels weren't in the room, he probably would have by now.

The angel was slumped on the couch, his battered golden wings drooped low behind him and his head bowed in sorrow; his brothers were no better. The four of them made quite a miserable picture with no words being exchanged between anyone and each archangel looking like they'd stepped into a wood-chipper, followed by a furnace. 

Sam was hovering unseen in the doorway, but he didn't need to ask what was wrong; he'd seen the news - a demon attack on the local school, six dead, some children.

Still, the demon couldn't believe that the archangels would let themselves be bothered with such a small attack. Sure, it made sense to put on a face for the public, tell them how sorry they were for allowing the atrocity to occur, but he'd never even considered the possibility that it wasn't an act. 

If it had been in demon territory, their higher ups wouldn't have batted an eyelid except for when in public. He knew this because he'd seen it for himself. Dean had told him it was like that when their mother died; nobody cared about the family that had been left behind, the friends who missed her. That was probably why their father had turned so cold, only been interested in his job.

But here it was different. The angels' higher ups grieved for even the smallest of losses (in military terms) and it puzzled the demon as to why. 

A little part of him warmed to the idea that these angels actually cared for their people, rather than them being another job. 

Another confusing part of him seethed that they were so bloodied because of his people.

"Either come in or don't, but don't hover halfway."

Sam startled at Gabriel's voice and poked his head around the doorframe.

"With the way you're standing there, one would think that you're eavesdropping." Gabriel forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes and Sam's wings lowered slightly.

"So are you coming in or not? If you are, I can't guarantee how much fun we'll be."

Sam slowly meandered into the lounge, wary of the four pairs of eyes tracking his movements. Gabriel gestured to the bean bag in the corner and Sam wordlessly sat down, finding it mildly amusing that as the tallest in the room, he had sunk the lowest with his chin almost resting on his knees.

He shifted into a better position and glanced up to the damaged archangels.

"I should ask you if you know anything about the attack today, but something tells me that you don't," said Gabriel, bitterly.

Sam shook his head and his expression fell into something apologetic. He was almost surprised to find that it was sincere.

"A few weeks ago I would have believed that you were covering something up, but now I'm not too sure," admitted Lucifer and it shocked Sam to think that the deadliest archangel trusted him by word alone. Usually the archangels would be grilling him about everything he knew and it would result with him becoming tense and obtuse and the angels becoming weary and impatient. It happened every time they visited Gabriel.

"I honestly don't know why any of it happened. I don't see what advantage they could have gained. I'm sorry." The demon frowned when he found that he really was.

Lucifer nodded with a small, sad smile and Sam didn't miss the way Michael's ash-covered wing twitched towards his younger brother.

"In a way, I'm glad you don't. I wouldn't like to think you'd purposefully planned an attack on five ten year olds with the intent to kill," commented Gabriel as if he wasn't testing the demon.

Sam's face must have shown his disgust at the suggestion because all four archangels relaxed, Gabriel even letting a tiny smile creep across his lips.

"Thank you for confirming my suspicions," he said with a hint of gratitude.

"I'm not sure whether I should be offended that you'd think I'd target children or be relieved that I've changed your mind," muttered Sam, confused at finding he really did care if the archangels - mainly Gabriel - thought he would murder innocent civilian youths.

There was a pause and the hairs on the back of Sam's neck raised when four pairs of eyes focused on him in what he dared to believe was surprise.

Then Lucifer and Gabriel shared an unreadable glance and Michael cocked his head in a way reminiscent of Castiel. It was Raphael who spoke.

"We apologise if we have upset you, Sam." He sounded confused by his own words. "It was not our intention. You must understand that the death of these children and their teacher has hit us all hard considering that there has been no demonic attacks since your arrival. I suppose we were lured into a false sense of security."

Sam looked ready to protest the direction the conversation was taking but Michael quickly held a hand up.

"We are not suggesting you had anything to do with this. I'm beginning to learn that maybe you're not quite as deceptive as I first believed you to be."

Sam was, once again, startled by the admission and for one unclear moment, he forgot why he was with the angels in the first place.

"I wish I could be of more help."

A small smile etched itself across Michael and Raphael's face. Gabriel and Lucifer's were not quite as subtle.

"So do we," smirked Lucifer but between the honesty behind those words and the poor state the angel was in, Sam's wings twitched ever-so-slightly towards the archangel before he caught himself and forced them to stay still.

If their wide eyes were anything to go by, not one archangel had missed the gesture and Sam dropped his gaze in embarrassment, his wings and hands fidgeting nervously.

Why on Earth had he tried to offer Lucifer, the most violent of the angels, comfort? Worst of all, why had he done it when the other archangels were in the room? The only thing that could have made the situation worse was if Sam's own brother had been there to bare witness.

No one had spoken for a while so Sam ventured an upward glance to find that the four archangels were conversing silently with quick (and obviously painful) wing movements and nods or shakes of their heads. 

Sam was impressed by their speed and it was then that he remembered they all shared a sibling bond similar to his and Dean's, which probably aided their muted conversation.

Feeling like he was being talked about and not knowing why, Sam coughed softly and all movements paused, the angels looking like they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

When none of them offered any comments Sam scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"If you want me to leave, I can."

Gabriel looked ready to protest but Michael silenced him with one sharp glance.

"We must discuss another possibility to the attack on the school. I hope you understand."

It was a sloppy lie and everyone knew it, but Sam didn't argue as he quickly left the room, quietly calling for Riot as he did so.

He shut the door to the room Gabriel had granted him months before and slid down the wall, Riot coming to lay obediently at his side.

His thoughts were becoming more muddled the longer he spent in the company of angels and he had the sudden desire to have his brother with him; a part of him from his childhood still truly believed that his older brother could fix anything and he was in desperate need of having his emotions and reasoning skills seen to.

Riot nuzzled at his hand, probably sensing his conflicting moods and Sam wrapped an arm around the dog, grateful for the comfort.

For a few minutes, Sam had left his guard down with the angels and it seemed that they had done the same with him, yet it hadn't really bothered him until he'd reached his room.

Now he was panicking that he was slipping in his duties to both his people and his brother, as if the angels caught on to the fact that he really was a plant, then Dean would be brought down too and his brother didn't deserve to fail because of the little brother who he'd practically raised.

Then he had another flash of panic as he realised he didn't want to hurt Gabriel and, if he were to be completely honest with himself, the other archangels to a lesser extent.

He let his head fall back against the wall and Riot startled at the thud.

When did he grow so protective over his host? Wasn't Gabriel supposed to be a guard and Sam his prisoner? Then why did Gabriel give him a pet and a job? Why did the archangel let him have so much freedom when he took him out shopping or for a meal? Why did he take him for meals in the first place? Was it all just a way to get Sam to open up and spill his plans or was it an honest attempt at friendship?

Whatever it was, it was working at making Sam's head ache.

He groaned. If it wasn't enough that he had Gabriel to deal with, now he was becoming confused by the other archangels.

Why were they being so nice? What had they needed to discuss about him so urgently? He didn't think they'd become suspicious of his reasons for being with them, but he'd never seen Michael so blatantly lie to him.

He groaned again at that thought.

Why did he care? Why was he so angered by the thought that the archangels had been hurt by his people? Why did his chest ache whenever he looked at the angels whilst they were in concealed pain? 

He closed his eyes defeatedly. He was certain Dean wasn't facing these confusing thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys' relationships appear to be changing... A lot of chapters uploaded today and I think this was the biggest of the lot. :) Hoped you ejoyed it!


	8. Chapter 8

Castiel idly eyed up the large window in his room, considered throwing himself out of it for the ninth time that day, glanced down to the mound of paperwork crawling across his desk and returned his thoughts back to Dean.

He groaned.

The demon had been in his home for seven months now and ever since their encounter in the bath tub (and Castiel cringed at _that_ little gem) the angel had been seriously considering suicide.

How could he have been so stupid letting Dean see him so vulnerable? Then he was glad that Dean hadn't seemed inclined to take advantage of his situation, which inevitably led his mind to wonder _why_ the demon hadn't been inclined to take advantage of it and just off him there and then, which of course, allowed the annoying part of his brain to cheerfully tell him that he knew exactly why he hadn't, which subsequently resurfaced old memories of Alistair and that lovely relationship.

He glanced to the window again.

He'd been in this state for two weeks and the only thing that made it more bearable was that Dean had been vehemently avoiding him for its entirety.

Then his chest ached at the thought that Dean had been avoiding him for two weeks.

He groaned again and let his head fall on the desk.

He'd taken to locking himself in his room whenever he came home from work and he was beginning to worry that he was becoming a hermit. He briefly toyed with the idea that he should have bought Dean a bed by now, then he felt guilty for making the demon sleep on the couch for seven months, then he banged his head against the desk for thinking about Dean... again.

The day after the attack, Cas had gone straight to Michael in a mixture of gratitude towards the demon and fear of their future and asked if the demon could possibly be allowed to see his brother. He was surprised when Michael admitted that he was going to ask Cas and Gabe the same question. 

The archangel had had an odd expression on his face and Cas had to wonder if Sam had managed to impress him somehow, because Michael hadn't visited him and Dean for four weeks.

Maybe they were all going crazy.

Cas had agreed to the rendezvous (or maybe Michael had, it was unclear) and rushed home to tell Dean the news before chickening out at the last moment when he remembered their night together.

So Dean's brother and Cas' brother were visiting today and Dean knew nothing about it.

As if on cue, a knock sounded on the front door and Cas sighed. He opened the bedroom door and walked out into the living area, finding it comical how Dean first looked mildly curious at the visitor and then outright terrified by Castiel's appearance, to the point where he almost fell off the couch.

There was another impatient knock and Gabriel's voice floated through the door.

"C'mon, Cassie! If you and Dean-o are at each others' throats, at least open the door so we can watch!" There was a pause as another voice murmured something too low for him to catch and Gabriel's bright laugh filtered through.

At least his brother wasn't having such a difficult time with Sam. It occurred to him that he hadn't (with good reason) informed Gabriel of his and Dean's quirky relationship and he definitely hadn't informed him of the current problem of them not being on speaking terms. 

In fact, he hadn't told any of the archangels much since their relationship began other than the reports he'd had to present to Michael and they weren't exactly the most accurate of pieces he'd ever submitted. He was certain now that Michael had wondered at their evasiveness.

He opened the door and stole a glance at Dean's face.

The demon froze when his little brother followed Gabe in and Cas hoped he hadn't gone into shock.

Sam, on the other hand, beamed at the sight of his brother and his wings fluttered excitedly. He bounded across the room and ploughed straight into the older demon, knocking him onto the floor with a cry of _"Dean!"_ and that seemed to snap the darker winged demon out of his stupor.

Dean crushed his brother to his chest, his wings flapping ecstatically behind him as Sam laughed.

Gabriel was grinning at the exchange whereas Cas observed with curiosity. He'd spent so long with Dean that it was easy to forget that he was a trained killer of high rank, but Sam's size alone cleared any doubt. Yet, here they were, behaving like children, not caring whether they were being watched or not.

He was brought out of his musings when a pair of arms clung to his shoulders and he swivelled to find Gabriel pulling him in for a hug.

"I've not seen you properly for two weeks. Where have you been hiding?" Asked Gabriel when they parted.

Cas wisely kept his mouth shut and shrugged in reply. Gabriel frowned for a second before turning his attention to Sam, who had stood up and was offering a hand to Cas, one wing still in contact with Dean's, who looked like he wanted to pull his brother in for another hug. Unfortunately for him, Sam was too polite.

"Hi. I'm Sam. I don't think we've ever formally met."

Cas took the demon's hand with a small smile, musing at the differences between him and his brother's first impressions.

"I don't think we ever have. Castiel."

When he pulled back he noticed Dean staring at him and he quickly dropped his gaze. 

"Sorry about that. I don't think I've ever been separated from my brother for quite so long," continued Sam, oblivious.

Gabriel however, was looking between the two suspiciously but he soon perked up.

"So, this is the infamous Dean?"

The demon's gaze snapped to Gabriel and his eyes narrowed. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Great first impression, Gabriel."

The archangel grinned innocently. "I can't give you a poor first impression and your brother a good one. I'm not allowed to play favourites."

Sam shook his head exasperatedly, whereas Dean shifted his wing closer to his brother in concealed protectiveness.

"Relax, Dean-o. Sammy here is used to me and my personality." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, which succeeded in making Sam snort and Dean frown when his brother didn't correct the nickname usually reserved solely for him.

"He doesn't mean any harm by it, Dean," Sam murmured when he noticed the frown.

Dean huffed. "So I suppose you're Cas' half-pint brother?" And then it was Gabe's turn to frown and Sam's to elbow his brother in the ribs.

Cas rolled his eyes; you could always count on Dean to make a situation awkward. 

To avoid the inevitable glaring match between his brother and Dean, Cas asked "Would anyone like a drink?" to which Sam responded gratefully.

"Please. What about you, Gabriel?"

Gabe blinked and turned his attention to his brother.

"Huh?"

Cas sighed. The whole world must be conspiring against him today. 

"Would. You. Like. A. Drink?"

The archangel smiled embarrassedly. "Sure. Sounds good."

Reluctantly, Cas glanced to Dean and the demon refused to meet his gaze as he mumbled out a "Please".

Gabriel looked about ready to call Dean out on his rudeness but a narrowed glare from Cas kept him quiet.

"What would you all like?"

"You got any hot chocolate?"

"If I didn't, you'd never visit."

Gabriel grinned. "You wound me, little bro!"

Cas glanced again to Dean and without looking up, the demon muttered his reply.

"Whatever Sam's having."

Sam scowled at his brother reproachfully, but it either went unnoticed or ignored. Cas was betting on the latter.

"Sam?"

"Hm? Oh... what do you have?"

"Would you like to take a look?"

Sam nodded and followed the angel into the kitchen, leaving the other pair to carry on with their aggressive glaring. Cas believed Sam to be as thankful to be away from it as he was, although he wasn't on the best terms with Dean at the moment so he may have been biased.

"I feel like I'm on babysitting duty," mumbled Sam quietly, proving Cas' first assumption to be correct.

"You too?" He whispered back, returning Sam's smile. This Winchester seemed a lot sweeter than his brother. Why did he always get stuck with the difficult ones?

"Gabe's told me a lot about you." And Cas didn't miss the affectionate nickname.

He hesitated. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

Sam chuckled. "Pretty sure it's a good thing. Or at least most of it was. Did you really set off a base-wide alarm because of a pancake?"

Cas groaned. "How on Earth did that come up? You know what, I don't want to know. It was an accident. I burned the pancake, set off the smoke alarm and when I tried to turn it off I hit the general alarm instead. Why does he always tell people about that?"

Sam snickered and looked at the different drinks on offer. "He's really proud of you, actually. You can tell by the way he talks about all his brothers."

Cas discretely studied Sam then. The demon sounded fond, tender almost and Cas had to wonder if there was something going on between them. It was unlikely that Gabe had decided to commit to someone, especially considering that someone was a demon. They could be doing the same as he and Dean were- had been... but Sam didn't seem the type to run into situations like Cas found himself in. Then again neither had he, but Dean just seemed to have that effect on him.

Even Gabriel had hinted at something, but he couldn't be sure because the archangel was prone to flirting with anything that moved - a little like Dean, suggested that annoyingly happy part of his brain.

He would have to wait and see what became of this new information; it's not like he could condemn his brother if he had found something in the younger demon when he himself was (had been) fooling around with Dean.

"Dean has also told me a lot about you." He said instead.

"I swear I'm not a psycho," said Sam looking half horrified. 

Cas smiled. "I don't doubt it." Then it turned sly. "Although I have to wonder what you were thinking when you painted green chicken pocks on yourself."

"Oh my- I was six and I really didn't want to go to school that day." Sam huffed. "I told my dad that I had the plague... I can't believe he told you about that. Can't believe he remembers it actually."

Cas snickered. "Oh, he had plenty of stories to tell about you and your childhood."

Sam shook his head but his wings flapped in a flustered manner, making the angel smile.

"Ready to separate the children?" Asked Cas solemnly and Sam grinned, drinks in hand.

The pair reentered the living area to find Dean and Gabriel sat next to each other on the couch, each with a 'dairy milk chocolate' bar.

Sam and Cas blinked, turned to each other in surprise, then stared back at the other pair.

"What happened to hating each other?" Asked Sam bluntly and Dean turned to his brother as he licked chocolate off his lip.

"He has chocolate. No one told me has chocolate."

Sam promptly shut his mouth as Cas' eyebrows hit his hairline.

"It's a relief to have someone who enjoys the sweeter things in life," commented Gabriel. "Your brother prefers to munch on a carrot stick and mine lives off water."

Dean grinned. "I've already told Sam that he has to stop being like a rabbit, but he won't listen to me. I was hoping maybe you'd got through to him."

"Sorry, Dean-o. He's as stubborn as Cas."

Dean chuckled but suddenly stopped as a thought hit him. 

"Wait, you're Gabriel. You're the one who makes all those pies?"

Gabriel paused. "Uh... yeah?"

The demon's face lit up. "I think I'm in love."

Sam snorted. "With him or the pies?"

"Shut up."

Gabriel's eyes brightened. "You're the one who baby bro keeps taking all my deserts home for? Huh... I don't know whether to be impressed that you managed to cajole Cas into bringing them for you, or suspicious that you bribed him. Either way, I'm flattered that you enjoy them. It's nice to know I'm appreciated."

Dean whined. "Why couldn't I have been under your watch?"

Cas concealed his reaction. That had stung. After the night he and Dean had shared together it was painful to hear him toss him aside so casually.

Then he winced internally because Dean was a demon so why should he care? He'd already been through one disastrous relationship with a demon so he knew how they tended to pan out.

"Sorry, kiddo. As awesome as it would be to have someone who adores sweets almost as much as me, I'm afraid your brother's grown on me... even if he doesn't eat anything that's not green."

"Thanks, Gabe," replied Sam sarcastically, but Cas noticed the small smile lighting his face. Maybe there really was something going on between them.

Dean's expression faded for a moment and Cas had the feeling that he was thinking along the same lines.

"No problem, Sammy." The archangel winked and Dean's frown grew a little deeper before vanishing when his brother turned to him.

"So... you enjoying it here?" It was a polite formality and Sam wouldn't have said it if he hadn't noticed that Castiel and Dean were being strangely evasive around each other. Maybe he thought Dean was being abused mused Castiel.

"Yeah... sure. I guess. It's nice." _Wow. That sounded reassuring. Thanks, Dean._

Sam opened his mouth and snapped it shut whilst Gabriel, once again, eyed Castiel curiously.

"Oh... that's...good," replied Sam, uncertain.

There was an awkward pause before Gabriel suddenly grinned.

"Well then, introductions out of the way, you need any help with lunch?" Cas saw the opportunity and quickly grasped it, silently thanking his brother for the way out of the uncomfortable situation.

"If you wouldn't mind."

The two angels vacated the room, leaving Sam and Dean alone to catch up. The last thing Castiel saw of the pair was Sam sidling up to his brother, his wings twitching vigorously in muted conversation, whilst Dean wore an almost pained expression.

Gabriel's hushed whisper snapped him back to reality.

"I know you said you didn't get along, but I'm sensing some real UST between you two."

Oh, the irony.

"I assure you, that's definitely not a problem."

"It sure seems like it, brother." Obviously Gabriel hadn't quite caught the double meaning behind his words. "What's going on between you? I've never seen you so wound up by someone."

He wasn't that bothered by Dean... was he?

"I put us both in a bit of a difficult situation a while ago and I suppose he's not forgiven me for it." He hated lying to his adopted brothers and he'd never been very good at fooling Gabriel.

"Uh-huh," murmured the archangel, already forming his own ideas about the younger man's vagueness. "And what kind of situation was that? I don't remember reading about it in your reports."

 _Whoops._ He should have remembered that Gabe had access to all reports.

"I didn't put it in," hedged Cas, panicking slightly when his brother raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think it was that important at the time. Not worth Michael's concern at least."

"It probably is if it makes you two act the way you are. So what did you do?"

Why couldn't Gabriel just drop it? No way was he telling the archangel that he'd had an affair with Dean when he'd already made a mistake with a different demon - a mistake that almost cost him his life and that of many others. He couldn't admit to possibly feeling something other than pure lust for the demon... wait... what?

"...It was when the demons attacked the school. I think I may have made him uncomfortable." 

"...Oh. Do you think he had something to do with it...?" Gabriel looked unsure of his own words and Cas was relieved that he hadn't picked up on his true meaning.

"No. I don't think so. You don't think Sam...?"

"No." Gabe seemed so sure of himself and Cas had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from asking if the archangel and Sam were a little more involved than what was strictly professional.

"Good. I'm glad we don't have to worry about that. What do you want for lunch?"

Gabriel saw through his attempt at changing the subject, but thankfully he didn't pursue his curiosity.

"Whatever you want," he replied with a thoughtful frown.

The pair whipped up a few (rather delicious-looking) sandwiches and reentered the living area to find Dean and Sam immersed in deep, intense conversation involving jerky wing movements and sharp gestures.

The pair quickly moved away from each other and Sam plastered on a fake smile. Gabriel glanced at him with a little quirk of lips and the demon's smile softened into something more sincere.

Dean and Cas sat on opposite sides of the room.

The four settled down and as the afternoon progressed and their stomachs filled, the tension eased between the four men (although Cas and Dean still managed to avoid conversing with one another) and soon they were trading stories and experiences.

All too soon, it was time for Gabriel and Sam to leave and after a bone-crushing hug shared between the two demons and another date to meet, this time at Gabriel's, Dean and Cas were alone once again.

As Cas plunged the dirty plates into the sink, he caught the movement of the towel from the corner of his eye. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and not having the courage for it), he wordlessly dumped each plate on the draining board, where Dean would pick it up, dry it and put it away.

They continued like this for the next fifteen minutes until Cas finally sighed after realising that Dean obviously wasn't going to speak either.

"I'm sorry."

The drying paused but Dean still wouldn't look at him.

"For the other night."

The demon's face did something odd then. It contorted into a strange mixture of hurt, sadness and anger before settling back into neutral.

"I see." Was Dean's curt reply and Cas hesitated. What was that supposed to mean? Suddenly, he remembered the demon's words about wishing he was with Gabriel instead and he turned back to the sink, something in his chest twisting painfully.

Five minutes passed by without any words being exchanged before Cas emptied the filthy water and strode out of the room.

He was surprised to hear an echoing pair of footsteps. 

As he reached his room and was about to open the door, a hand grabbed his wrist and twirled him around.

Dean was staring at him with his mouth half open and his eyes filled with regret and sorrow.

"Cas, I..." he trailed off, unsure and for once, Castiel had no idea what Dean wanted from him, so he stayed silent.

"What exactly are you sorry for?" Asked Dean when he found the words, yet he might as well have not said anything at all because Cas was becoming more and more confused.

When it became clear to Dean that he'd have to elaborate, he explained:

"What part of that night are you sorry for? Being so vulnerable in front of me or wanting to be held by a demon? Because, with the way you've been avoiding me, I'm beginning to think that you're ashamed of wanting someone who's not an angel."

Castiel was immediately reminded of Alistair and he quickly pulled his arm from Dean's grip.

"You've been avoiding me as well! Don't try to pin this all on me!"

"I never said I wasn't!"

"Why? Why were you so intent on ignoring me?"

"Because I thought you were ashamed! I thought you hated what we'd done! I thought you were frightened of doing anything that wasn't pure sex!" 

Cas seethed. "Frightened?! I'm not some porcelain doll, Dean! I won't break!"

"Are you sure?" Dean growled, his wings raising high due to his flaring temper. "Because I'm pretty sure you were broken by Alistair all those years ago. You're so fixated on how that ended that you won't let anyone else in!"

"And what? I should let you in? Right, because that's gone so well for us so far!" Cas hissed, his wings responding to Dean's.

The demon clenched his fists and Cas was certain their argument was going to end in a brawl. He was almost looking forward to it.

"You haven't- We haven't- What we've done isn't letting each other in! What we did that night, that was something closer than all those other times, but it wasn't anything like how it could be!" He seemed to sag as if all the wind had been knocked out of him and his wings drooped defeatedly.

"I know we didn't have the best start. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Truth is, I was just as scared as you were."

Cas paused as the anger began to drain from him.

"...Why were you scared?"

"I... You're an angel. I'm... well, I'm not. We're not supposed to... Cas, I've never committed to anyone. It's always just been sex. I tried to get close to someone; a girl called Lisa, but it didn't work out between us."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?"

Dean shook his head in frustration. 

"No. That's not what I'm trying to- look, I don't want to argue with you. If you want to forget about the other night then I won't mention it ever again and we can carry on as if it never happened."

What if he didn't want to forget? Woah... that was dangerous territory.

Still...

"Okay," Cas blurted, not wanting to entertain that train of thought.

"Okay?" Dean's face seemed to fall and wasn't that a curious reaction?

Cas snapped his mouth shut, trying to sort out his conflicting thoughts; on one hand Dean was a demon and he didn't want to be tricked into anything like he was with Alistair, on the other, the demon had been kind to him before the 'incident'. 

Dean's expression morphed into indifference when it became clear Cas wasn't going to elaborate. 

"Alright then. Goodnight, Castiel."

The angel winced; Dean never used his full name. 

He watched as the demon turned stiffly on his heel and marched back to the couch. He replayed the conversation in his head and cringed at what had become another barrier between them. He hadn't meant to say that to Dean and he had a feeling the demon was more upset than angry.

Maybe he was crossing a line but he really didn't want to live through another two weeks of avoiding each other. It was tiresome and not to mention awkward. 

There may have been another reason to Castiel's thoughts but he preferred to ignore it.

Mind made up, he strode to the couch and whirled the demon around until they were facing each other. 

"That's not what I meant."

Dean frowned. "Then what did you mean?"

"I... I don't know what I want, Dean. I do know that I don't want us to ignore each other, though."

Dean seemed honestly surprised by the admission.

Cas smiled half-heartedly. "We don't seem to be very good at this." He gestured between them both. "We tend to misunderstand each other a lot." 

He sighed.

"I don't know what you expected to get out of that thing we had going before. I don't know what I expected to get out of it. It certainly wasn't this. I don't want to forget about what we did, but I don't think I can take it any further either."

Surprisingly, Dean visibly relaxed.

"Oh. I don't know about you, but that 'thing' we had going, well I was just in it for the sex until..." he trailed off as he caught himself. "That's fine. Great actually," he recovered. Then cautiously he asked "So... are we good?"

A small smile formed on Cas' face. He hadn't missed the slip.

"Yeah, we're good."

Dean's expression mirrored his and their gazes locked for a few moments before the demon coughed quietly and they stepped away from each other. 

"Goodnight, Dean," whispered Cas as he turned to his room and Dean mumbled something back as he dropped his eyes to the couch.

A stray thought crossed Cas' mind and without thinking it through he whirled back around and gently pressed his lips to Dean's cheek, before pulling back and heading for his room. 

He paused when he remembered something and when he faced Dean, the demon was gazing at him softly and Cas' wings began to flutter.

"I asked Michael if you could work with that mechanic from the other day and he said it was fine. If you want, I can call the shop up tomorrow?"

Dean grinned. "When did you do that?"

"Last week."

The demon's face grew almost fond. 

"Thanks, Cas."

Cas smiled. "See you in the morning then." 

As he closed the bedroom door behind him, he had to stop his wings from quivering in excitement and his chest felt light and warm as he climbed into bed.

No nightmares came to him that night.

 

* * *

 

"Who's Jessica?"

Riot, who was lazing on Sam's chest, opened one eye in annoyance when his pillow shifted beneath him.

"Huh?" Sam grunted.

Gabriel was upside down on the couch, his feet dangling over the back and his head almost touching the floor. It had just passed midnight and already the archangel had his eyes closed.

"Earlier today, at Cas', you mentioned something about a woman named Jessica. Who is she?"

There was a pause and Gabriel cracked open an eye to check that Sam was still awake. He was but the blank expression was enough to make Gabriel open both eyes. Even Riot had stood and was staring at the demon as though trying to figure out if he was broken.

"She used to be my girlfriend. Fiancé actually." It was whispered, almost regretful.

Gabriel pulled a face in sympathy.

"You split up?"

Sam closed his eyes then, his wings drooping further than they had in a long time.

"She's dead."

Gabriel blinked and swung himself upright until he was sitting properly on the couch.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I had no idea." 

"It's not your fault."

A sharp stab of sorrow hit Gabriel in his chest and his wings fell at his sides when Sam, obviously filled with pain, dropped his gaze to the floor.

"What happened?"

The demon seemed to hesitate and instantly Gabriel knew what was coming and braced himself for it.

"Angels happened. She was walking home from university. It was late. An assassin targeted one of the professors and she was a witness, so they slit her throat."

Gabriel had the urge to comfort Sam, but he wasn't too sure if the demon would appreciate being hugged by a member of the species that had killed his fiancé. 

"I... I don't know what to say other than I'm sorry."

Sam laughed bitterly but Gabriel had the feeling that it wasn't aimed at him.

"You weren't the one who killed her." He paused. "She was just a student studying medicine."

Gabriel's stomach twisted. An innocent young girl, killed in cold blood. Why was the war still going on? What purpose was it solving?

"What was she like?"

Sam seemed startled by the comment and he glanced at Gabe curiously.

"She was pretty. Very pretty. She had long, golden hair and the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. She was small, petite and she had these soft, maple wings that used to shine under the moon light."

Gabriel smiled warmly. "Sounds like you really loved her."

Sam smiled weakly back. "I did. We discussed grace-bonding."

That sharp pain twisted in Gabriel's stomach again at the thought of Sam's happiness being so brutally ripped from him at such a young age.

The demon turned away and Gabriel had a feeling it was to hide a few stray tears. Not wanting Sam to suffer alone, he quickly got up and sat beside the larger man, pulling him in for a hug as he wrapped his wings securely around him.

Sam buried his face into Gabriel's neck and when the angel felt a cool dampness on his skin, he tightened his grip and gently stroked his hair.

"I'm so sorry, Sam," murmured Gabriel and he jumped when a pair of arms slid around his back.

He held the demon for a few minutes, offering quiet words of comfort as he waited for the wet patch on his neck to dry. Eventually, the tears subsided but Sam didn't move and Gabriel didn't feel inclined to push him away.

"You didn't need to see that," muttered Sam into his neck and Gabriel huffed.

"You don't need to hear half of the sounds I make when I eat cake, but you've never complained."

Sam chuckled huskily. "I complained that time you had Black Forest Gateau."

"Yeah, but even Michael said I sounded like badly written porn. _Michael Novak._ "

Gabe ran his fingers through the demon's hair and felt an odd feeling of satisfaction when he sighed contentedly. The arms around him tightened and Gabriel moved his free hand to rub Sam's back.

"Thank you, Gabe."

The archangel glanced down at the younger man just as Sam pulled back to look at him and Gabriel was acutely aware of the empty sensation at losing Sam's warm body.

They locked gazes and Gabriel was struck by how young Sam looked in that moment. The demon had bright, intelligent eyes, sharpened by years of experience as a special agent and yet, they seemed open and trusting of Gabriel, even though they had a perfectly good reason not to be. Three, if you counted Sam's mother and father.

Pink lips were slightly parted and Gabriel suddenly realised that he really wanted to see how they tasted. 

Unconsciously, he raised his wings and puffed out his feathers in interest and his eyes were drawn to how Sam's darker wings responded in kind. 

Gabriel's heart thudded wildly in his chest when Sam snapped his own eyes back to his after staring a little too long at golden feathers.

Carefully, Gabriel slid a hand down to Sam's hip and when the demon's feathers fluffed further, he slid his other hand to the opposite hip.

Sam shifted and suddenly they were a lot nearer than Gabriel remembered them being. The demon, now close enough that Gabriel could feel his breath on his lips, pushed gently at the angel's shoulders until Gabe was lying on his back and Sam was straddling him.

Gabriel gasped and tangled his fingers back into Sam's thick hair as the other hand squeezed encouragingly at his hip.

Sam's breathing grew heavier as golden wings curled possessively around him and if Gabriel had any doubts about Sam not wanting this, they were soon erased when the demon's gaze turned lustful.

Sam's lips looked extremely inviting then and Gabriel closed his eyes, his own lips parting as Sam slowly leaned towards him...

He spat out a mouthful of fur.

Riot barked happily between them and began to lick Gabriel's face just as Sam leapt off him and spat out his own mouthful of fluff.

Gabriel gagged at the doggy breath and shoved the animal away, wiping drool from his face with his sleeve. 

When Gabriel next glanced at Sam, the demon was looking anywhere but him and he realised that the mood had been efficiently shattered. 

Wings flapping nervously, Sam scratched awkwardly at his neck, a rosy hue beginning to colour his cheeks.

"I'm...uh... It's getting late and I... I'm getting a little tired now so I... um... I'm gonna go to bed..."

As understanding of what they had been about to do set in, Gabriel tried not to show his panic (and maybe a little bit of disappointment).

"Yeah... sure. Goodnight, Sam."

The demon practically ran from the room and when Gabriel heard the bedroom door shut, he slumped to the floor with his head in his hands.

What was he doing? Sam was a demon! A very high ranking special agent trained to kill without hesitancy. An agent who Gabriel was supposed to be interrogating to find out if he was more than just an amnesty seeker. Sam was his prisoner and Gabriel his warden; they weren't supposed to be a modern rendition of _'Romeo and Juliet'._

The angel groaned.

Then why did it feel so wrong to treat Sam as a criminal? When had doing nice things for Sam to gain his trust so he'd give information turned into doing nice things for Sam because he liked the kid's smile? When had asking Sam about his past to find out any incriminating evidence turned into actually wanting to know more about him? When had Sam's monosyllabic replies turned into explanations about how much he missed his dead fiancé? When had Sam's carefully guarded gaze turned into the thing that Gabriel had seen aimed at him mere moments ago?

When had he begun to trust Sam?

Gabriel's wings slapped the ground in frustration.

He was not supposed to fall in l... like Sam. Sure, the demon was drop-dead gorgeous to most people and it was a bonus that he happened to be very kind-hearted once you got to know him. Even better was the little playful streak that appeared when he was comfortable with the people around him and the fact that he seemed to be growing used to Gabriel's brothers, maybe even beginning to enjoy their company was a good point in Gabriel's eyes. The thing he especially liked about Sam was-

Stop. Don't go there. 

Gabriel dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and huffed. 

This couldn't be happening. Sam was a demon, he was an angel. A high ranking archangel. He couldn't associate with someone who was being investigated for being a plant. Yet there was no proof that Sam wasn't being honest in his claims for amnesty...

No. Stop right there.

With his head spinning and thoughts racing, Gabriel clambered to his feet and trudged up the stairs to his room, not quite being able to help the glance at Sam's door as he walked by. He scolded himself for it and tumbled into bed with his clothes still on and a migraine beginning to blossom.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Dean felt like he was walking on air. He couldn't be sure why he'd had such a strong reaction but he knew his grace had brightened at Cas' kiss on his cheek, even if his mind refused to analyse why.

He tried to tell himself it was because they were finally talking again, but his heart and his grace were conspiring against him to tell him how stupid he was being.

Ignoring them, he flipped the pancake high in the air, smiling to himself when it landed perfectly back in the pan. When it was cooked to a beautiful shade of golden-brown, he slapped it on a plate with the others and placed Castiel's share in front of the empty seat at the table. Without questioning how he knew, he poured Castiel's favourite blend of syrup and lemon juice over the small stack before digging into his own.

A few minutes later, Cas slid out of his bedroom, looking like he'd seen a ghost, or more accurately, realised that he'd kissed Dean the previous evening.

He glanced nervously to Dean, which then turned curious when he noticed the stack of pancakes waiting for him, which then morphed into confusion at why Dean wasn't avoiding (or angry with) him.

"Morning," Dean chirped, his grace flaring happily at the sight of Cas. He resolutely ignored it.

"Good morning," replied Cas warily.

"Made you breakfast."

Cas stared at the pancakes in confusion once more.

"I can see that." Then, "Thank you."

The angel made his way to the chair, but when he sat down, he made no move to eat. Dean rolled his eyes.

"I won't bite, you know."

At the demon's characteristic sarcasm, Cas relaxed.

"Unless I try to steal your pancakes."

Dean huffed. "Then, you'll lose a finger."

There were a few moments of silence and when Dean glanced up, Cas was staring at him, head tilted to one side.

"You look like a bird when you do that."

The angel blinked. "Apologies." He leaned back and dropped his gaze.

Dean sighed, tired of them always being awkward with each other.

"Alright, out with it. What's on your mind?"

Cas startled. "You're not avoiding me."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "No."

"Why not?"

"...Because I don't see a need to...?"

"Last night."

"...Yeah...?"

"When we went to bed."

"...Go on?"

Cas raised his own eyebrow as if Dean was being particularly dumb.

"...You kissed me?" Dean was growing very confused. What was Cas getting at? 

"...You're not bothered by that?" The angel asked.

What? Why would that bother him? His grace certainly enjoyed it. 

He had a feeling his mind was screeching at him that he should know why Cas seemed disturbed by the idea of having kissed him, but Dean's internal organs didn't seem to want to cooperate with each other today, so instead he just shook his head.

"No, why would I?"

"We never kiss," replied Cas bluntly. "We never did it when we had sex and certainly not when we're just talking."

"We did in the bath the other night," stated Dean as though they were discussing the weather. "Besides, it was only on the cheek."

Cas was staring at him wide-eyed and Dean blinked at him.

"What?"

"You- You just-" he huffed exasperatedly. "You're infuriating."

Dean grinned. "It's not me who's getting worked up over a peck on the cheek."

Cas opened his mouth then quickly snapped it shut as his wings began to flutter. Dean watched the pure white feathers sway over each other and he idly wondered if it wouldn't be too weird if he pulled the angel into his lap and started grooming him. He missed being able to bury his hands into Cas' soft wings. Maybe the next time he did it, he would be allowed to enjoy it and let Cas feel true pleasure rather than their previous fevered grasping at each other. He didn't want to hurt Cas like that again.

"What happened with Lisa?"

It took a few moments for Dean's brain to catch up.

"What?"

"Last night you said something about a girl; Lisa? You said it didn't work out between you. What happened?" Cas paused. "If you don't mind me asking."

Dean leaned back in his chair, all thoughts of touching Castiel vanishing as memories of his short relationship came rushing back.

"We had a few months together. We'd hooked up a couple years previous in a one-night stand and I guess there was something there. She'd already had a bad relationship and she'd gained a son from it. He was a good kid. Clever too.

"We had a great time with each other, but I was too young, too involved with my job to consider being in a long-term commitment. I'd never been in one before, instead choosing one-night stands. She was the closest I got.

"I was so bothered about climbing the ranks in the agency that I got scared when she started talking about settling down. I'd have had to give up my job; my way of life and at the time, I didn't consider that an option.

"There's no sob story, no abuse, no cheating; she wanted to get married and I didn't. We separated on good terms and we stayed friends. I visited them sometimes and was happy for her when she found someone who loved her. Even went to the wedding."

Dean shrugged. "That's about it."

Castiel seemed to mull this over before smiling sincerely.

"It's refreshing to hear a story that doesn't end in tragedy."

A reminiscent smile crossed Dean's face as he remembered the good times with his ex. He eventually returned to reality to find Cas trapped in memories of his own. Whether they were pleasant was another thing entirely.

"So, go on. What about Alistair? I've heard the official story and the rumours. What's the unofficial story? The one that wasn't twisted by the press or the people?" He wondered if he'd crossed a line. Still, he felt like he needed to know the truth if he was supposed to be staying with the angel for a little while longer.

Cas stiffened and eyed the demon sharply. 

"I want to know the truth, not the propaganda." Dean assured.

The angel held Dean's gaze for a long moment before conceding defeat and he sighed as he sagged into his seat.

"He was like you; an amnesty seeker under observation. He'd been on this side of the border for almost two years and as such, had been accepted as having honest reasons for being here. He'd never stepped a foot out of line and the archangels allowed him to live in the town without supervision. 

"We met when he applied to work for our agency. He started at the bottom; my rank at the time. We got to know each other and he told me how his family had all been killed because of his government's choice to sacrifice their village as a war tactic. 

"His story added up with recent events and I was too young and naive to think of questioning him any further. I felt sorry for him and we began to see each other more. Many people didn't approve but I didn't care. He was kind to me and he cared about what I did.

"We climbed the ranks together and three years later, we had reached a point where we were allowed into the main headquarters. By that time he had moved in with me and we had been in a relationship for over two years. We had just started to discuss grace-bonding and we were setting a date for a wedding. I was completely in love with him and I truly believed that he had fallen for me. 

"There was a point where there was talk of plans of a demon attack on the governmental residence. Nobody found anything more about it and I didn't think anything of it.

"Then one night, I discovered a screwed up letter around the back of the desk; he'd obviously been in a hurry and I read it to see what was so urgent. It was a letter signed by Lilith, the demon in charge at that time. 

"It read that it was time to carry out their plan of blowing up the main governmental figures. They had been planning to do it for a long while and Alistair had been planted in the agency and had worked his way up to a point where he could successfully carry out his mission. He had kept in touch with his bosses and had kept all their letters to him from me. I had trusted him so much that I hadn't seen fit to ask about the letters coming for him every two months and he had never disclosed anything about them.

"He used me to get where he wanted and when I found out that evening, I had every intention to confront him about it. I didn't realise he was already in the apartment - he'd probably forgotten something important - and when he saw the letter in my hands, he must have hidden.

"I stuffed the letter in my pocket and ran to the door, hoping to either find him, or failing that, tell the archangels about his deception. Before I got the chance, he ploughed into me and knocked me to the floor as he held a blade to my throat.

"I was so shocked and I think seeing his face - a face I'd been living with for more than two years - staring down at me with so much hatred and disgust, I think it prevented me from fighting back. I didn't want to believe that he'd used me like that so I just asked him why he was doing it.

"He laughed in my face and told me he hated angels with a passion, but at least he'd had a good lay with me. 

"I kicked at him then and managed to throw him off. We grappled for a while as I attempted to retrieve the blade and then Lucifer and Gabriel broke through the door and forced him into restraints. He was handed to Naomi and I never saw him again. 

"Apparently, my neighbour had seen Alistair sneaking around with a knife and had called the archangels.

"The archangels took me in for questioning and then held me in a temporary safe house under their protection. I became more focused and started to shut people out; I didn't want a repeat incident with anybody and no civillian really trusted me anyway, so I was quick at climbing those next few ranks. 

"The archangels were impressed by my determination and they began to test me more and more and they soon took me under their wings. 

"We grew closer and overtime, they practically adopted me into the family and I rose to where I am now. I couldn't be more grateful to them."

Cas closed his eyes as he relived the painful memories and Dean had to unclench his fists at the end of the story.

How could someone be so cruel to Cas? He hadn't deserved that. His respect for the archangels had grown sizeably during the story and he was privately thankful that they had taken the young angel in when he had needed it the most.

Even though Dean despised Naomi, he had to admit that he wasn't sorry for what she'd done to Alistair. 

He eyed Cas carefully. The angel had done well to get where he was, extremely so; many people wouldn't have been able to cope with what Cas had been through and they certainly wouldn't have been able to house another demon who could be a possible repeat of the demon all those years ago.

Dean had the sudden urge to reassure Cas that he would never use him like that and would never betray him.

...Except wasn't he supposed to be doing both of those things as per Crowley's orders? 

A wave of nausea hit him as he realised he was exactly like the demon that had broken Cas so efficiently. A part of him screamed for him to take care of the angel in front of him, whilst the logical part of his brain told him to follow orders like a good little soldier; after all, these creatures had killed his parents and many of his friends.

But that didn't necessarily include Castiel, reasoned a different part of his brain.

"I didn't realise how strong you were, Cas," choked Dean, trying to stamp down on all of his conflicting thoughts.

The angel turned to him slowly, obviously not quite having expected that reaction and his eyes found the demon's.

Dean saw the flash of emotions crossing the angel's eyes and he saw his own confusing thoughts mirrored there.

However, Dean thought he saw a flicker of fear in the angel's expression and, upon realising how familiar this situation must have been for Cas, he smiled tightly and moved to dump his empty plate in the sink.

"I'm gonna go shower,' commented Dean, unwilling to place Castiel into any more awkward situations.

The angel nodded and didn't watch him go.

 

* * *

 

One week later and Sam was still running his and Gabriel's late-night rendezvous through his head. 

They had both come to a silent agreement to ignore that it ever happened, but it didn't stop Sam from thinking about it privately (and maybe wondering what it would have been like to go through with it).

He shook his head. He wasn't supposed to be thinking about Gabriel like that. Sure, the angel was fun, kind-hearted and protective of his family, but that didn't mean that Sam had the right to wonder what it would be like to taste those soft, delicious-looking lips.

He closed his eyes. Even his reasoning skills weren't helping him today.

He was glad that Gabriel was still acting as friendly as ever towards him and he was thankful that they were able to go on as they had been before the incident. 

On the other hand, Gabriel being so close to him all the time was driving him nuts and when he was at the rehoming centre, all he wanted to do was get back to Gabriel. It was a no-win scenario and it was even worse when the angel was at work.

Maybe they would be better not talking at all.

That thought made his head hurt. He couldn't imagine not talking to Gabe.

Worse still, was when Lucifer had come for a visit a couple of days previous and had immediately sensed that something had happened. Sam had to sit still and stop his wings from flapping and knocking over a lamp when the older archangel had scrutinised him all afternoon and when he left, Lucifer's curious gaze on them both had been less than subtle. Even Gabriel had begun to sweat.

He supposed it hadn't helped when they'd squeezed as close together as they possibly could on the couch during his visit.

Whoops.

The demon risked a sideways glance at the angel beside him. They were both at the sink; Gabriel washing dishes and Sam drying them and all the younger man could think about was when they'd been in a similar situation, but had both decided it was perfectly okay to drench each other in dishwater. Now Sam's brain was turning that innocent little encounter into something more 'R' rated and he couldn't get the reminder of Gabriel pressed up against his body out of his head.

He quickly turned away and in doing so, missed Gabriel's raised eyebrow.

"Sam? You okay? You seem distant today."

_Probably because I can't get the image of bending you over the counter out of my mind._

Woah. Slow down there, Tiger. Gabriel's an archangel and you're on the opposite side of this war... no matter how wrong it feels.

"Lost down memory lane, I guess," shrugged Sam.

Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows in a ridiculous manner that had Sam laughing.

"Which memory?"

Sam grinned; the irony of the question hitting him.

"Mind your own business."

Gabriel's face grew solemn.

"No, you see, Sam. You're my charge, which makes you my business and therefore, your business is my business."

"Is that so?"

The angel nodded gravely.

"Well then, if I'm your charge, that means your actions determine my future, which makes your business my business as well."

The corner of Gabriel's lip twitched.

"No, it just means you have to be extra nice to me."

Sam caught the slight movement of Gabriel's hand towards the sponge and he lunged at the angel before he got a chance to repeat his actions from a few weeks previous.

Gabriel cackled as Sam used his size to pin the archangel's arms behind his back. He crushed the angel to his chest, getting smacked gently over the head by a golden wing, before smirking triumphantly when Gabriel tried to wriggle free but couldn't.

"Alright, alright. You win," chuckled the angel and Sam's wings responded automatically to the happy tone.

"Now get off me, you big moose," growled Gabriel playfully and Sam saw fit to shove a wing in his face as reprimand.

The angel twisted to glare at him in mock offence and eventually, Sam released his arms.

Gabriel relaxed and it was only then that Sam realised neither of them had stepped back and were now unexplainably close if someone where to walk in at that particular moment.

Still, it gave him a fantastic view of Gabriel's beautiful amber eyes. Were eyes really meant to be that colour? It was like somebody was swirling a glass of whisky and the sunlight had struck the tumbler in that one perfect way.

...Great, now he was spouting poetry.

The angel also seemed to have realised how close they were to each other, if the nervous glance between them both was anything to go by, yet he didn't retreat and Sam's heart beat that tiny bit faster.

Every minuscule detail was accentuated when they were this close and Sam watched in fascination as the angel's Adam's apple bobbed once, before a pink tongue swept over dry lips. 

Pupils seemed to dilate as they found his own and Sam's eyes were drawn to the excited flutter of wings smaller than his own, before searching out Gabriel's gaze once more.

The angel's breathing was quicker now and Sam's first impulse was to snake his hand around Gabriel's waist and pull him just a little closer.

The angel gasped quietly before glancing down to his lips and Sam's grace pulsed strong at the thought of being able to claim Gabriel's mouth.

He almost jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around his back and when his brain finally kicked into gear, he quickly cupped the back of Gabe's neck with his free hand.

Gabriel gulped again and he found Sam's gaze to make sure they both knew exactly what was going on and that there were no misunderstandings between them.

Sam was certain there weren't any as he leaned forwards, eyes beginning to close. He vaguely saw Gabriel mirroring him and his grip around the angel's waist tightened.

He could feel the heat between them as they parted their lips for each other and soon, Sam would know exactly what Gabriel's mouth tasted like...

"Gabriel? Are you home?"

Cas' muffled voice may not have been loud from all the way outside, but it was certainly enough to make Sam and Gabriel jump away from each other.

"Yeah," Gabriel coughed to get rid of the husky tone in his voice. "Yeah, just a sec."

Sam could have slapped himself. Of course! Cas and Dean were supposed to be visiting today. Why couldn't he have remembered that earlier? It would have prevented the lovely shade of scarlet blossoming on both his and Gabriel's cheeks.

Surely Dean would know something was up.

Gabriel closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing back under control before glancing at Sam almost... regretfully.

Sam blinked. Apparently he wasn't the only one struggling with inappropriate thoughts.

The angel started towards the front door and Sam lost sight of him as he rounded the corner into the living room.

"Hello, brother."

"Hey, Cas."

"Sammy? You in here?"

Sam took a deep breath before stepping into the lounge.

"Hi, Dean."

"There you are- what's wrong with your face?"

_Subtle, Dean._

"It got a little warm in the kitchen."

Gabriel looked as though his eyeballs were going to pop out of his head, but he quickly recovered and grinned at his brother when Cas raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You baking or something?" 

Thank you, Dean, for thinking of your stomach before any questionable activity concerning your brother.

"Something like that, yeah."

Dean smiled, satisfied with the answer, but Castiel wasn't so easy to convince. He glanced at Gabriel through narrowed eyes, but otherwise said nothing as he sat down on the couch, beside Dean.

"So, how's life going with the Fresh Prince?" Asked Dean as he took in his surroundings.

"Fine. Good. He's a uh... great host."

Dean nodded, eyes darting around Gabriel's belongings and a few of Sam's own that he had bought when out shopping with the archangel. Dean seemed to realise this and his smile grew slightly at the proof that Gabriel was indeed treating his brother kindly. 

Cas however, was staring unblinkingly at the archangel.

Gabriel caught his brother's eyes and Sam watched as the two angels had some sort of stand-off, complete with almost imperceptible wing twitches before Gabriel stood up and turned away from Cas' gaze.

"Does anyone want a drink?"

"Sure," replied Dean, still immersed in the plethora of objects surrounding him.

Not wanting to be left alone with the perceptive angel, Sam stood as well.

"I'll help you."

Gabe nodded, refusing to mention that it was really only a one-person job.

"Cas?"

"Tea please, if you've got any."

The pair left the room as quickly as possible without making it too obvious that they were uncomfortable.

They worked in silence as Sam grabbed two beers from the fridge and made a hot chocolate for Gabriel as the archangel brewed a tea for his brother.

"At least they're not ignoring each other now," whispered Gabriel and Sam had to wonder if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

When the pair reemerged in the living room, Sam paused. Was it him or had Dean shifted closer to Castiel?

He shook the thought away. He must still be off-kilter from his and Gabriel's almost-kiss. 

Why was he so affected by a simple kiss? He shook that thought away as well. It would have only started an unending barrage of ideas anyway. No point in inducing a headache.

He handed a beer to his brother as Gabe passed over the mug of tea and both sat down on separate chairs.

"So, how's life treating you, baby bro?" Grinned Gabriel as he quickly glanced to Dean then back to Cas.

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Dean is treating me fine, thank you."

Dean jumped at the mention of his name and tore his gaze away from the shelf of ornaments he'd been staring at.

"Huh?"

"My brother is being overprotective, don't concern yourself over it."

"Oh." Dean frowned. "Why's he being overprotective?"

Gabe smirked and Sam had a feeling he would have to break up the fight about to happen between him and his brother.

"Just making sure you're not corrupting poor Cassie."

A look of panic flitted over Dean's face but it was gone instantly and Sam had to wonder at that.

"I'm not doing anything to your brother," grumbled Dean without so much as an irritated wing twitch and Sam had to restrain himself from letting his jaw drop.

Since when did his brother let angels insult him without even a comeback?

Gabriel raised an eyebrow but said nothing more; obviously Dean's reputation preceded him.

"Hey, guess who's invited me to their wedding?" Offered Gabriel instead, shifting his attention back to his brother.

Castiel glanced up curiously.

"Kali."

Both Castiel's eyebrows shot up and Sam listened half-interestedly to the conversation, his focus beginning to wander to Dean.

"Your ex-wife?" Cas asked startled.

Now Sam's attention was wholeheartedly on Gabriel. Gabriel had been married?

The archangel nodded with a smirk.

"Why on Earth would your ex invite you to her wedding? I thought she hated you."

Gabe shrugged. "I suppose it's one more way to prove she's better than me. Either that or it's to prove that she won."

Castiel pulled a face. "Won what? You both wanted a divorce. Besides, it was her who cheated; her that was unfaithful. It's not as if she's the victim."

Gabriel chuckled. "I know that, but she seems to think otherwise."

Dean beat Sam to the punchline.

"You were married? How come that little gem never reached demon territory?"

Gabriel grinned toothily. "She never wanted a big ceremony and I wasn't too bothered about making a big fuss anyway, so we just signed the papers and got on with it with no actual party. I guess I found it a little strange at the time that a girl who had a flair for the dramatic didn't want a flashy wedding, but I thought we were in love so I never said anything. Barely anyone knew we were actually married. It was only when I found out about her affair with Odin that I realised she was only with me because I was one of the archs."

Sam had to stop his teeth from grinding together.

"She used you for power?"

Gabriel leaned back. "She had to find some way to keep her bankrupt lover in the good life. She influenced my ideas in governmental affairs and stole most of my wages as a reward. Although, I suppose it's not considered stealing if you hand it over to them willingly."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem too concerned about any of it?"

"That ship has long since sailed. Besides, after living with her for three months I knew it wasn't working out between us and I realised that I didn't love her anymore, just as much as she had become uninterested in me. Unfortunately it took three months to find out about the affair and another five months to get the divorce papers in."

Suddenly Gabe grinned.

"I congratulated Odin for having the guts to do my wife on our couch whilst I was working upstairs. I have a feeling they had had a lot of practice at that because they were extremely quiet. Still, it was quite a shock at the time to see them both completely naked. I imagine I was quite the picture with a chocolate bar in one hand and a mug in the other with my mouth hanging wide open as Odin pleasured my wife."

Dean whistled low. "The guy's got courage, I'll give him that. Seriously though? On your couch whilst you were still in the house?"

Gabe smirked. "Weird kink, huh?"

Sam couldn't help but roll his eyes, even if part of his brain was plotting the murder of this woman; trust Dean and Gabriel to bond over a failed marriage.

"Are you going?" Interrupted Castiel suddenly. "To the wedding?"

Gabe shrugged. "Why not?"

Cas frowned. "I can think of several reasons why." Then he made a pained face as a thought struck him. "You're not going because there'll be free cake, are you?"

Gabe beamed. "You know me too well, little brother."

Cas groaned and Dean snorted in amusement. 

"Way to make the best of a terrible situation." And Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows at the older Winchester.

He turned to Sam.

"You want to come? I'm sure they'll have a few carrot sticks." Once again, Dean huffed softly.

"I'm not too bothered about going to your ex-wife's wedding," Sam replied blandly. 

_'Mostly because I might accidentally murder the bride,'_ he didn't add.

Gabriel shrugged but didn't comment.

Conversation changed then to something more light-hearted, including the excitement Dean felt at getting a job with the local mechanic and when it became obvious that they were all getting comfortable with one another, Gabriel offered for both Cas and Dean to stay for dinner. When Dean caught sight of Gabe's homemade desserts, they wouldn't have been able to turf him out even if Cas had said _'no'_ and Sam enjoyed the evening spent with his brother and if he was honest, the other angel. Cas was more like him than he had anticipated and even Gabriel had seen fit to comment, much to Dean's agreement.

Apparently, they were both _'giant nerds'_.

Of course that meant Gabriel and Dean were both _'giant infants'_. Nobody teased them for the rest of the night.

When the other pair finally left (albeit reluctantly and with their wings slightly lowered), the clock read _2 am_ and Gabriel dismissed the dishes until morning. He smiled warmly at Sam and the demon couldn't help but return it as they climbed the stairs to their respective bedrooms.

All in all, it had been a good night, even if Sam had created a hit list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is it so far? Good? Bad? Boring? Too much going on? I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	9. Chapter 9

Dean staggered into the apartment at just after eleven and Cas couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when the demon gingerly shrugged his jacket off and stared at the amount of engine oil coating it.

"Don't hang that up, Dean. We'll have oil all over the other clothes," sighed Cas as Dean contemplated throwing it on the coat rack.

The demon grinned at him sheepishly. "Sorry."

He looked at himself and his shoulders slumped at the volume of grease and oil he'd managed to slather down himself.

Cas smiled. "Hard day?"

Dean nodded with a frown as he tried to work out if he should put the clothes into the washing machine or try and scrub the stains out himself. 

Cas wouldn't admit to himself that the frown was adorable.

"Hot water and dish soap," he said instead and then as an afterthought: "and consider a shower; it's in your hair and wings."

Dean blinked and ran a hand through his hair, groaning when it came back dripping with black liquid.

He looked at the carpet and Cas chuckled when his eyes widened and he sprinted into the bathroom.

It was rare that he beat Dean into the apartment after work but occasionally Jedediah would work the demon a little too hard and Cas would come back to an empty apartment; something he had to admit was a little disappointing. The demon had grown on him over their time together and he often looked forward to seeing him after work, where Dean's playfulness and sarcastic quips would keep him from being as lonely as he used to. 

Even when Dean wasn't around, Cas would look to the few trinkets and knick-knacks scattered around the apartment that were characteristic of Dean's personality, bought when they had been out together and something had caught Dean's fancy. It certainly made his home more interesting than before Dean had showed up. Even his friends had commented at the aesthetics. 

It had come as quite a shock when he first realised that he had been more than a little lonely before Dean had come barrelling head-first into his life.

It was even more of a shock during these past few weeks when Cas noticed that he had stopped eating dinner on his own and preferred to wait for when the demon was with him so they could eat together. The funny part was that Dean had started doing the same when Cas was the last one to come in (which was most of the time).

Cas stretched out on the couch; he'd already made their meal, so all that was left to do was serve it, which he'd do when Dean was done with his shower.

Ten minutes later, he was surprised when the demon trudged in wearing an old T-shirt and a worn pair of jeans and curled up next to Castiel on the couch.

After coming to the conclusion that the demon wasn't going to budge, he tentatively stroked a hand through Dean's wings and a contented smile wormed its way onto Dean's face.

"You wouldn't believe how much they ache," mumbled Dean as he shifted to lie on Cas in a more comfortable position.

"Jed got you working hard?"

"I don't think he likes me very much."

"If it's any consolation I don't think he liked me all that much when I first spoke with him."

Dean huffed. "He's so grumpy all the time. I think he likes watching me suffer."

Cas automatically squeezed Dean's shoulder.

"You know you can quit if you want. We'll find you somewhere that's more tolerant."

Dean chuckled. "More tolerant of demons? I highly doubt that. Besides, I've only worked there for a few weeks. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of letting him think he's made me leave."

For some reason, Cas felt proud of Dean's determination and he resumed stroking his dark feathers.

Dean hummed quietly at the sensation before his eyes wandered to the wing that Cas had draped over the side of the couch. He reached out with a determined expression and rearranged some of the feathers until they were back in order and Cas was pleasantly surprised by the gentleness.

"I wouldn't mind if it was just him, but if one more client assumes I'm incompetent or out to sabotage their car, I'm going to flip a table. I'm sick of people hovering over my shoulder or looking down their nose at me just because I have dark wings." Dean paused before a sigh escaped his lips. "I suppose they have every right to though."

Cas frowned. That wasn't fair. Dean shouldn't be treated differently just because of the colour of his wings. He was an amnesty seeker; shouldn't he be treated with the same respect angels paid their own? 

"No, they don't. You're here because you chose not to fight on either side of this war. You're not a prisoner and they shouldn't treat you as such."

Dean looked startled as he stared at Cas, before a soft look entered his eyes.

"Cas... it's not as if people don't know my past. I'm one of the most infamous assassins in demon history, right beside my brother. We won't be well liked by any angel and I don't really blame them for hating me on sight considering what I've done." He looked regretful; upset even and Cas didn't like to see the usually cocky demon like that.

"I don't care what you've done in your past. You're here now because you don't want to do that anymore. It's not your fault you were taught that you were supposed to kill anything that had lighter wings than yours."

"Still, I shouldn't have done what I have. I should've learned more about you before I became the perfect little soldier to the higher ups."

"And I should've learned more about you before I assumed that you were anything but true to your word. I should never have assumed you were lying when you said you were an amnesty seeker."

Dean's eyes widened and suddenly Cas' throat was attacked by a pair of hungry lips. He gasped and arched into the demon as Dean straddled him and curled a hand around his hip.

Cas' arms wound around Dean's shoulders and the demon quickly used his free hand to undo the shirt ties around Cas' wings. When Cas was free of his shirt, Dean gently mouthed down the angel's chest and stomach. Cas groaned quietly and moved to undo Dean's shirt. He felt the demon smirk into his stomach, soft stubble tickling his skin and as soon as he had removed Dean's shirt, the demon flipped him over.

Dean pressed kisses to his back and Castiel shivered at the tenderness. His wings fluttered slightly and the demon soon shifted to give them the same treatment.

Cas moaned when Dean nuzzled at a few of the feathers and the demon wrapped his arms around Cas' waist as he rocked against him.

Cas' eyes brightened at the prospect of what they were about to do and Dean chuckled softly when he saw the blue glow shining on the arm of the couch.

His eyes slid to black out of fondness and he mouthed at the back of Cas' neck. Cas closed his eyes and let his head tilt forwards to give Dean more access. 

Suddenly, a hand raked through his feathers and his wings leaned into the touch. Dean seemed to like this and he pulled the angel into his lap so he could groom the white wings at a more comfortable angle. 

Cas sagged and leaned against Dean blissfully as the demon mouthed at his neck from behind.

They sat like that for a quarter of an hour as Dean groomed both of Castiel's magnificent wings, before one of Dean's fingers slipped into an oil gland and Castiel groaned loudly.

"Dean..."

"Yeah, darlin'?" Dean asked as the finger slid in again and Castiel decided that he actually rather liked Dean calling him _'darling'_ despite his previous complaints.

"Please..."

"Please what?" 

Dean was teasing and Cas knew it, but he found that he was enjoying the playfulness so he decided to do a little teasing of his own.

He slipped a hand into the front of the demon's pants and Dean's breath hitched as Cas worked to undo his zip.

"You're cruel," whispered Dean as his hips bucked into Cas' hand and Cas relaxed into the demon's chest.

"Says you."

When his fly was completely undone, the demon grinned and flipped Cas back onto his back until he was on top of the angel.

Cas chuckled when Dean's eyes followed the trail of oil steadily leaking from his gland. The laughter died on his lips however, when Dean sucked gently at the gland and a tongue lapped at the liquid.

He closed his eyes and let the sensations wash over him. It hadn't been like this last time they'd done anything together and Cas marvelled at how eager Dean seemed to please him.

Not one to let his lover do all the work, Cas slid Dean's pants off, relishing the gasp it brought him and began to ease off his underwear.

Moving away from the gland, Dean's mouth worked at his stomach before trailing down his thighs as he removed Cas' trousers.

He licked at the inside of Cas' thighs, nipping at the skin every so often and Cas growled low in his chest as he buried his hands in Dean's feathers.

The demon let out a little whimper as Cas' hands busied themselves in his wings and Cas came to the conclusion that Dean hadn't had his wings touched tenderly by anyone in a long time. How could he have? Dean had been with him for almost eight months.

Determined to change that, Cas dragged the demon into a better position so he could reach the entirety of his wings and began to shift the feathers around.

Dean groaned and practically collapsed onto the angel's chest. 

"Cas..."

The angel grinned. 

"Something wrong?"

The demon whined when Cas slipped a finger into his oil gland.

"Tease," he breathed when Cas' hips bucked sharply against him.

"Serves you right."

Dean groaned and buried his face into Cas' neck as he ground his hips against Castiel's.

"Want you."

Castiel's breathing was deeper now and he wrapped his legs around Dean's thighs as he searched for more friction. He needed this demon so badly.

"Bedroom. Now."

Dean's head snapped up, his eyes a deep black as he stared at Cas.

"Are you sure?"

Yes, he was sure! Didn't Dean realise how much he wanted him?

"Yes," hissed Cas as he began to untangle himself from Dean. Dean seemed uncertain at finally being allowed in the room he had thus far been banned from entering and Cas had to give him a gentle shove to get him moving.

"Please, Dean," he pleaded quietly and that was enough to spur Dean into action. He dragged the angel into the bedroom and just before throwing him onto the bed, Dean rid the angel of his underwear (torturously slowly in Castiel's opinion).

The moonlight shone through the window and was the only source of light in the room as Dean straddled him and began sucking at his throat.

Cas wrapped his legs once more around Dean and started to work on his wings again. The demon practically purred as one of his hands wandered to Cas' own wing and began playing with the feathers.

After a few minutes, Dean shimmied down Cas' body and carefully untangled their legs. Cas gasped when Dean spread his legs and positioned himself between them. Once he glanced up to Cas' face and the angel's eyes glowed brighter. 

Dean smiled softly and Cas' grace flared.

"Please, Dean," he murmured once more and the demon didn't hesitate any longer as they both immersed themselves in pleasure unlike anything they'd experienced with each other before.

Much later, Cas found himself curled around Dean with the demon's wing wrapped around them both. Dean's face was buried into his neck and his mouth was slightly open as he snored quietly. 

Cas smiled and stroked the demon's hair lightly. A stray thought about dinner crossed his mind, before he glanced back down at the demon, the dim glow of the moon highlighting his freckles and he easily made the decision that he didn't want to move. He pulled the covers over them both and snuggled into Dean, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel wondered if it would be socially acceptable for him to grab Sam and throw him into his bed so he could have his way with him. Probably not.

Either way, it should be illegal for Sam to tease Gabe like this. Granted, he probably didn't realise he was teasing Gabriel by reading a _'John Grisham'_ novel, but still, watching that cute little frown as he got sucked into the story was enough to make Gabriel want to jump into his lap and ravish his mouth.

His wings were a problem too, because they kept twitching every so often depending on which part of the book he was reading and as a result, Gabriel's kept responding, only with a lot less innocent intent.

He was surprised Sam hadn't noticed, although he was trying to keep them under control.

His mind kept wandering back to their two almost-kisses and he couldn't help but think about last time, how flushed Sam had been and how much he had wanted to ignore their brothers and just get back to kissing Sam.

 _'Third time's the charm,'_ supplied his brain, helpfully and Gabriel almost groaned at how much of a love-struck teenager he'd become.

Still, there were things to consider such as how Gabe was an archangel and Sam a demon seeking amnesty and the fact that it was probably breaking some rule about affairs with someone who was supposed to be under your observation, but as Sam glanced up at him for a second before his gaze snapped back to his book, Gabriel found that he couldn't remember why he was bothered in the first place.

"Watcha reading?" He asked instead as his eyes followed the fractional movements of Sam's wings.

The demon held the cover up to him and carried on reading.

"You need anything? A drink, a slice of cake?" _A kiss?_

Sam shook his head. "No thanks," he murmured quietly.

Gabe pouted at not getting any attention from the demon, before he realised how childish that sounded.

"Okie dokie. I'll get a drink for myself then."

He made to leave and couldn't help but smirk when Sam's eyes trailed him into the kitchen. Well then, if Sam was going to drive him crazy then he was going to try his own hand at it. Besides, Sam had been on that same page for a little too long.

He fluffed his feathers slightly as he walked and his smirk grew wider at Sam's sharp intake of breath.

"You sure you don't want a drink, Sammy? You sound a little dry." 

The demon shook his head once again. "No thank you."

Gabe shrugged and fluttered his wings slightly, fluffing them out even more and this time, Sam climbed to his feet and followed him.

"I've changed my mind," he muttered when Gabe raised an eyebrow and the archangel had to stop himself from grinning. 

"Fair enough." 

Sam grabbed a beer and Gabe smirked at his choice; he didn't usually drink alcohol unless he'd had a long day at work or there was someone visiting the house. It seemed as though Gabriel had crawled under Sam's skin. Awesome.

Still, Sam's mouth wasn't on his yet, so he needed to up his game. He poured himself a glass of lemonade and noticed Sam hovering in the doorway, watching him.

He smirked. Subtle, Sam.

The demon's wings were high and stiff as if he was trying to prevent them from moving too much, which gave Gabriel the perfect opportunity to completely ignore Sam as he walked past and brush his own wings against them on the way.

Sam gasped and whipped his head around to face Gabe and the angel half-turned just enough for Sam to see a flash of his bright, golden eyes and suddenly, Sam had Gabriel pinned against the wall, his own eyes sliding back to their original colour from the aroused black they had been moments ago.

Gabriel lay his wings against the wall in offering, and Sam's eyes lingered on how fluffed up the feathers had remained.

He gently trailed his fingers through them and Gabriel sighed happily.

Sam returned his gaze to the archangel's face and Gabriel smiled softly. He cupped the back of Sam's neck and his other hand wandered to his hip, pulling them closer together.

Sam mirrored Gabriel's expression and rested his hand tenderly on Gabriel's cheek, his other arm wrapping around the angel's waist.

 _'Finally!'_ Thought Gabriel as Sam's wings fluttered excitedly. They were finally going to do this! They could work out any problems later on, but right now, all that mattered was being able to taste Sam's lips and know that the demon wanted this as much as he did.

There was no hesitation this time as Sam leaned down and closed his eyes and Gabriel eagerly tilted his head up, even going so far to stand on his tiptoes, which only made Sam's grip on him tighten.

Yes; he was _that_ desperate.

He closed his eyes, not bothering to stop his wings quivering in anticipation as their noses brushed. Sam's lips barely a millimetre from his and...

The phone rang.

 _'Ignore it,'_ repeated the mantra in Gabriel's head.

Sam gulped and moved back slightly, but Gabriel's hand slid around the back of Sam's neck more firmly and the demon's confidence returned as he leaned back in.

The phone continued to ring but Gabriel was determined to forget it was even there. If it was important, whoever it was could leave a message. Afterall, it couldn't be more important than what was going on between him and Sam.

He could feel Sam's breath on his lips now, which made it all the more annoying when the phone clicked over to the answer-phone message asking for people to leave their name and number.

"Ignore it," whispered Sam, their lips brushing with each syllable and Gabriel's thoughts were focused wholly on Sam and how beautiful his eyes were; how soft his long hair was; how gentle his voice sounded; how kind-hearted he was and how much he cared for his friends and family; how much Gabe wanted to be a part of that.

The hand around Gabriel's waist slowly trailed up to cup the other side of his face and a pair of huge, thick wings curled around him almost possessively. Gabriel let one hand tangle in Sam's hair as the other buried itself into the base of Sam's wing and he was thrilled with the little gasp it earned him.

Sam's thumb caressed the side of his face and he relaxed into the touch. Sam was going to be his. 

They focused on each other's mouths once more as their lips closed the tiny gap between them...

_"Gabriel? Gabriel. Pick up. Gabriel, I know you're home, this is an emergency. I need you at the base right now. Gabriel?"_

Michael's curt voice stopped them for a third time and they pulled away fractionally until Gabe could rest his forehead against Sam's. 

Gabriel sighed defeatedly, his eyes still shut as Sam stroked a thumb over his cheek. 

"You better pick that up," murmured Sam, although his tone was laced with disappointment.

Another heavy sigh and Gabriel pulled away completely, glancing at Sam apologetically as he trudged into the living area.

A phone call later and Sam was standing in the archway of the kitchen, looking for all the world like he wanted to drag Gabe back and kiss him senseless. 

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen; Michael had made sure of that.

"They're in a bit of a mess. Apparently, we have a traitor; one of the higher ups and he's been feeding information to certain influential figures in demon territory. They want me to help find them." Gabe looked at Sam numbly; under any other circumstances, he would be rushing to the base as quickly as possible to help his brothers out, but today he saw it as more of an inconvenience and a selfish part of him wished that his brothers would have just handled it on their own.

Sam nodded, but it was clear he was just as disheartened.

"I'll see you later on, then." Gabe tried to sound hopeful, he really did, but his words sounded flat even to his own ears. Sam managed a weak smile and Gabriel hesitated before walking out the front door and flying the short distance to HQ.

When he arrived home at two o'clock in the morning, exhausted and frustrated at being no closer to finding the traitor, the first thing that hit him as he shrugged off his jacket was the sweet, enticing smell of warm chocolate.

He raised an eyebrow but traced the smell into the kitchen where he found a tray covered by tin foil and a note placed neatly beside it.

He picked up the note and his mood instantly lifted;

 

**Wasn't sure when you'd get in, but I know you like something sweet before you go to bed. Enjoy :)**

 **P.S. Dinner's in the microwave if you still want it**

 

Gabe carefully peeled away the foil and a grin lit his features at the freshly-baked chocolate-chip cookies lining the tray.

"You are a wonderful man, Sam Winchester," murmured Gabe as he took a bite out of one of the cookies and the groan he made could have been described as pornographic were anyone there to witness it.

He covered the cookies back over and eyed the microwave before deciding it was too late to eat now and he emptied the plate into the bin, attempting to ignore the wave of guilt he felt at throwing away Sam's cooking.

He crept upstairs and eyed Sam's door fondly before making his way into his own bed and falling face-first into the pillows, a smile on his face.

 

* * *

 

Dean had found a new hobby. Castiel didn't seem all that averse to it.

Ever since their late-night rendezvous, Dean had been finding more and more excuses to touch Castiel. Whether he had to lean over the angel to get something and accidentally brushed a hand across his thigh, or had to reach around him to grab an object from a shelf and just so happened to have to rest a hand on Cas' hip to support him, Dean always managed to come up with a way to touch the angel.

From what he could gather and if the small smiles and warm eyes were anything to go by, Castiel was enjoying it just as much.

They'd also managed to re-establish their _'relief sessions'_ , except now, instead of taking what they could from each other to rid themselves of the stresses of the day, they had found that giving pleasure was a much more rewarding experience for both of them.

On these nights, Dean was allowed to sleep in Cas' room, much to his initial surprise and Cas never made him leave early like Dean had expected he would. 

The first night they'd slept together, Dean had shot up in the early hours of the morning and tried to creep out of the room, looking for all the world like a naughty toddler who was trying to stay out of his parent's way and was hoping he wouldn't be scolded for being in the one place he'd so far been told to stay out of at all costs. However, Castiel had quickly woken up and grabbed his arm, yanked him back into bed and curled around him with a whisper of "Stay" and Dean's grace had soared.

After that, Dean had never tried to leave and had always been rewarded by waking up to his and Cas' arms and legs tangled together and Cas' head resting on his.

Dean was a cuddler and he wasn't afraid to admit it.

However, they didn't have sex every night and Dean often looked forward to the evenings where they'd curl up beside each other on the couch and watch a movie or just read until they were too tired to keep their eyes open and Cas would squeeze his shoulder gently and lead him into bed and they would fall asleep in each other's arms.

Dean was spending less and less time sleeping on the couch with every passing week.

Cas seemed happier and Dean's grace would pulse with pride at the thought that he'd caused that.

They had never kissed each other on the mouth yet and Dean didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved that it somehow made their whole relationship less official. Afterall, Dean wasn't blind; he knew what complications would arise from the fact that they were of opposite species and how they would be treated if anyone found out. Not to mention that Cas was still not over Alistair and any wrong moves and he could set the angel back to how he'd been before they'd met. 

The thought that his mission could be revealed if he slipped up during the course of their quirky relationship never once crossed his mind.

Yet, Dean's resolve on the no-kissing rule was slowly beginning to crumble the longer they spent together and if all the sidelong glances were anything to go by, Cas was beginning to question why they even had the unspoken rule in place.

At the moment, Dean was itching to drag Castiel into his lap and run his hands through his wings for no other reason than to stop Balthazar from being all touchy-feely with his lover.

Maybe Dean was beginning to grow a little possessive.

His teeth grating together, Dean watched from the kitchen as Balthazar wrapped an arm around Cas' waist and the white-winged angel leaned slightly into the touch.

They were both smiling at one another, quietly retelling stories of their school days and Dean felt a pang of jealousy that Cas was so comfortable with the other angel when he'd had to work so hard to get to where he was with Cas.

Time and time again Cas had assured Dean that Balthazar was just a friend and even though it may look like he was flirting, that was just Balth's personality and there was nothing going on between them.

As the pair burst into laughter and Balthazar hugged Castiel a little tighter, Dean wanted to punch the clingy angel and tell Castiel just what he thought of that statement.

Dean seethed silently and stalked into the living area, drinks in hand as he offered one to Castiel and contemplated throwing the other scolding tea over Balthazar's head.

Balthazar raised an eyebrow at the demon's murderous scowl.

"Do cheer up, Dean. Your face could stop a clock."

Dean forced a smile and Balthazar chuckled.

"If looks could kill..."

Castiel gently touched Dean's wing and although there was nothing intimate about the touch, the act alone was enough to calm the demon.

"Dean?"

The angel's voice was soft, concerned and Dean felt a brief flash of guilt at worrying him.

"Sorry," he muttered and this time, both of Balth's eyebrows flew upwards.

He glanced at Castiel in surprise, but was completely ignored as Dean sat beside him and the two shared a secretive glance as Cas returned his attention to his friend.

By that time, Balthazar had schooled his expression into something more neutral, but Dean had a feeling he would be watching them both a bit more closely from now on.

However, Dean thought it was worth it when the hand around Castiel's waist disappeared and he couldn't help but feel a sense of smug satisfaction at his achievement.

"It's good to see you both talking for once," commented Balthazar carefully. "Usually when I visit, you're either arguing or not speaking at all."

Cas shrugged. "Turns out we've got more in common than first expected."

"I see." The other angel hesitated as he stared at Cas oddly. Cas' wings dipped slightly as he spotted the uncertain, almost warning expression and Dean felt a surge of anger towards the other angel for making Cas feel unsure.

Suddenly, Dean really wanted to press his lips to Cas' neck, just to make Balthazar back off.

"So, Dean, you and your brother seem to have impressed the archangels so far. What are your plans for when you're granted your freedom?"

Dean's brain stuttered at that. He hadn't really thought of anything outside of Cas for the past couple of weeks. He vaguely remembered that he was supposed to be doing something important in angel territory, but he quickly stamped down on the idea, unwilling to put too much time into something he was beginning to realise he may have more than a few moral problems with.

Balthazar noticed the pause and seemed almost confused by it; even Cas was staring at him with a curious frown in his eyes.

"I... uh... I haven't really thought about it," admitted Dean sheepishly and Balthazar snapped his mouth shut.

"You can always stay here until you find somewhere. What's a few more weeks?" Cas said, but there was an almost nervous air to it, as if he realised what he'd offered only as he was saying it.

Balthazar's eyes narrowed sharply and Dean began to hope that they'd not just been found out. Afterall, the blonde angel was as highly ranked as Castiel; he hadn't earned the position out of luck.

 _"Hmm,"_ was all he said and even Cas shifted uncomfortably.

The next hour consisted of stunted and painstakingly awkward conversation between the three until Dean decided that his presence was starting to tarnish Cas and Balthazar's relationship (and as much as he hated Balthazar, he was one of Cas' closest friends and Dean wasn't inclined to tear them apart), so he retreated to the kitchen for the remainder of Balthazar's stay. 

Though he was secretly pleased that Balthazar's hands never wandered towards Cas for the rest of the night.

 

* * *

 

Sam was beginning to think that he had a little more than a schoolboy's crush on Gabriel. The lightness he felt in his grace whenever the archangel was close was a clear indication of that.

It also didn't help that Gabe was a complete tease whenever they were in the same room... not that Sam minded. He wasn't averse to doing a bit of teasing himself.

They still hadn't kissed, but Sam was having too much fun trying to guess how Gabriel would try to flirt with him next and how he, in turn, would attempt to seduce the archangel. Needless to say that these weren't conventional methods if the crudely-drawn icing pictures on the muffins were anything to go by. That had ended with snickers on both sides.

So, their little game of who-could-flirt-in-the-funniest-way-possible had been going on for the past three weeks and the only things gained from it were bright smiles and a lift in mood on particularly hard days.

Neither man seemed particularly bothered.

However, the urge to press Gabe against a wall and claim his mouth until the archangel begged for something less innocent was becoming increasingly hard to ignore, but the annoying voice at the back of Sam's mind kept piping up and warning him that what he wanted with Gabriel was a definite _Bad Idea_.

Sam was growing used to ignoring it. He could worry about the consequences later.

Still, it kept him from making that final leap towards the archangel, which only served to make Sam more frustrated.

"So, Sasquatch. After my recent talk - lecture - from darling big brother, Michael, we have come to a conclusion concerning your immediate future."

Sam grinned as the archangel entered the threshold, the front door slamming shut behind him. Riot yipped excitedly and ran towards Gabriel, almost bowling him over in his eagerness.

Gabe laughed and Sam's grace flared fondly at the sound as his wings fluttered.

The archangel stared unabashedly at them and Sam felt no reason to hide them, so he just grinned wider.

Gabe smirked and strode over. He plucked the book from Sam's hands and glanced with mild curiosity at the cover before tossing it to the floor and took a step backwards, his gaze focused entirely on Sam.

Sam raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms in mock scolding.

"What's so important you have to defile the pages of a magnificent novel?"

Gabe snorted. "Don't get sassy with me, Winchester." 

Suddenly, his face sobered, leaving only a small smile in its wake and Sam's own expression dimmed.

"What?"

Gabe's eyes turned warm and Sam decided he loved that sincere expression that Gabe wore so rarely.

"We're taking you off constant observation. You'll still have to sleep here at night, but I won't have to hold your hand whenever you want to go anywhere. You can go to town, take a stroll around the park, visit your brother and you won't need to be under any supervision, whatsoever."

Sam's eyes widened and he felt honoured that the archangels trusted him enough to give him so much freedom. Gabriel still had that tiny smile on his face and it only grew at seeing Sam's eyes light up.

"You're free, Sam." Gabriel said softly and Sam was overwhelmed by the thought that Gabriel had cared enough to speak with Michael about his freedom. Another thought raced through his mind and he realised he'd be able to see his brother more often.

Suddenly, Sam lurched forwards and pecked Gabriel on the lips.

"Thank you, Gabe! This is fantastic! I can't believe your brothers are okay with this! I can finally see Dean when I want and I won't have to keep interrupting your plans! I can-" He stopped abruptly with wide eyes as he realised what he'd just done.

Gabe was frowning thoughtfully at him, but upon noticing Sam's deer-in-headlights expression, his face softened.

"Gabe, I... I never meant to..." Sam stuttered, mentally slapping himself.

Gabe huffed quietly. "Well, it wasn't quite like how I pictured it, but hey, at least we weren't interrupted."

Sam closed his eyes in embarrassment and murmured an ashamed "sorry", but a gentle touch to his arm made them fly open again.

"I think we should try that again, properly this time," whispered Gabe as he pulled Sam closer. 

Sam's eyes widened before his wings ruffled and the smile on Gabriel's face grew as he watched the usually tough wings fluff up like a new-born fledgling's.

Sam's cheeks flushed and Gabe's eyes sparkled in mirth. 

Before the angel had time to make another quip, Sam hurriedly pressed their lips together, relishing Gabriel's surprised squeak. As the kiss drew on, he slowly slid his arm around the archangel's waist and his other hand raised to gently cup Gabe's cheek.

Gabriel hummed contentedly, a sound that made Sam's wings flutter and the archangel wrapped his arms around Sam's neck as he leaned on his tip toes to reach the demon's mouth more comfortably.

Sam smiled into the kiss and began to pull back only for Gabriel's lips to chase his. They met once again and Sam let out a little gasp as Gabe nipped playfully at his bottom lip. The tiny opening was enough for Gabriel to slip his tongue through and Sam moaned as their kiss deepened.

The angel mapped out his mouth lazily, as if he had all the time in the world and Sam's grip on him tightened fractionally at the idea that maybe he did.

However, the archangel was obviously feeling mischievous this evening and his hand wormed its way into Sam's feathers and tugged experimentally. 

Sam's breath hitched as their lips broke contact for a moment and then he was pushing Gabriel against the wall and claiming his mouth hungrily, a hand beginning to ride up the angel's shirt.

Gabriel seemed to forget how to breathe for a second before he was yanking Sam closer, all teasing thoughts forgotten as the demon ravished his mouth.

Gabe's hand tangled in Sam's hair as the demon moved away from his lips and lightly scraped his teeth over the sensitive skin of Gabriel's throat. The archangel moaned quietly as Sam nipped at his jaw and he clutched the base of the demon's wing tighter.

Sam growled, pleased at the archangel's state before diving back in for his throat, sucking and mouthing at it until he noticed a dim, golden glow. 

He pulled away to look at Gabriel and he felt his eyes slide to black when he noticed Gabriel's.

The angel was watching him through half-lidded eyes, and they were both brighter than usual, almost liquid-like as though golden lightning was flashing behind them. 

Sam's breath caught in his throat. He'd never seen Gabriel so beautiful and he watched in fascination as the archangel's wings stretched either side of his body, as if offering himself to Sam.

Sam gulped at the thought that Gabriel trusted him so completely, floored by the idea that such a high-ranking creature could ever desire him so openly.

This time, as he leaned in, it was softer, more possessive than their previous kisses and Sam marvelled at how lucky he was. He was amazed by how over all this time, they appeared to have just gravitated towards each other until this very moment. He was surprised by how well they seemed to fit together like this; how Gabriel's sweet-tasting lips moved so gently against his own; how happy Gabriel was to be claimed by Sam; how natural it felt to be close to Gabriel and have him completely open and trusting, no tricks, no hidden meanings behind his words, just content and most of all, safe, in Sam's arms.

They drew back and gazed at each other, still smiling goofily. 

"That was more like it," whispered Gabriel after a pause and Sam couldn't help but squeeze the angel towards him.

Gabe grinned fondly and caressed his wing with a thumb and Sam pressed a single kiss to his forehead. When Sam looked again, Gabriel's eyes were closed, but Sam knew they were still glowing, just like his were still black and he began to pepper kisses down the archangel's jaw and throat.

Gabriel hummed approvingly and tilted his head back to give Sam better access.

"That's nice," he murmured as his hand stroked over dark feathers and Sam's grace flared at the encouragement.

"You taste like chocolate." Sam mouthed against Gabriel's skin and the archangel huffed out a laugh.

"Would it be offensive if I said you taste like Angel cake?"

Sam released a bubbly laugh. He buried his face into Gabriel's neck as warmth overtook his heart and he felt Gabriel's grin as a hand petted his hair.

"I love you," murmured Sam as his chuckles subsided and joy overwhelmed his grace; the thought that Gabriel wanted him as much as he wanted the angel made his head spin and his heart thump and his wings curled protectively around the smaller body.

He was confused when Gabriel stiffened.

"Gabe?" He asked concernedly as he stepped back.

The archangel was staring at him with wide eyes and an almost frightened expression resting on his face.

"Did you... did you mean to say that?"

Sam frowned as he cast his mind back to the last few moments, then his own eyes widened in realisation. 

However, he thought back to how he'd felt as he'd said the words and he gulped, his resolve strengthening.

"I did." He frowned. "I do."

A hopeful expression crossed Gabriel's face and when Sam noticed it, he stepped forwards, his wings curling back around the angel.

"I love you." Sam said again, his hands sliding to Gabe's hips.

He watched as Gabriel's Adam's apple bobbed and then his mouth was being attacked once more by Gabriel's.

"Again," breathed Gabriel in between desperate kisses. "Say it again."

Sam smiled and hoisted the angel up until his legs were wrapped around his hips.

"I love you." He sucked on Gabe's bottom lip. "I love you," he murmured as he kissed Gabriel's jaw. "I love you." He took Gabriel's mouth possessively, smirking when the angel's breathing deepened.

"I love you, too," whispered Gabriel breathlessly and Sam's brain came to a screeching halt as his grace tried to leap out of his body.

Gabriel's pathetic whine broke him out of his daze and he quickly resumed their heated make-out session.

What felt like mere seconds but was actually half-an-hour later, the two parted, lips shiny and swollen and they gazed doe-eyed at each other in a way that would have had Dean retching on the spot, were he present.

"Help me make dinner?" Gabriel asked even as he eyed Sam's mouth contemplatively.

The archangel jumped as Sam squeezed his rear with a smirk.

"After you." 

It took them considerably longer than usual to make dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It takes so long to upload these large chapters! Anyway, hope you guys liked this one. Sam and Gabriel finally got a moment alone together and Dean seems to be getting a little possessive...
> 
> Tell me what you think and drop any improvements in a comment!


	10. Chapter 10

"Everything alright?"

Cas let a small smile overtake his face. Dean's concern was a welcome relief after a hard day at HQ.

"Everything's fine, Dean."

The demon relaxed and vanished back into the kitchen. Cas shook his head in amusement before hanging his coat up and meandering into the kitchen to help Dean with their late dinner.

"How was your day?" 

Dean grinned. "Sammy came around today. Only for a couple of hours."

Cas let his smile grow wider.

"I'm glad you and your brother are interacting more."

Dean chuckled. "I have you to thank for that. If your reports of me weren't so good, Michael would've never let us visit each other."

Cas shrugged. "Actually, the archangels were pretty quick to grant you more freedom. You both must have impressed them."

"Still, thanks. It's nice to be able to have some fresh air every once in a while."

"I thought you might be getting tired of me having to hold your hand everywhere you go."

Suddenly, a pair of arms snaked around Cas' waist from behind and the angel immediately relaxed into the grip.

Hours had been longer than usual after another lead on the traitor amongst the angel's base of operations had come to light. Cas had wanted to stay late to help his brothers out, so Dean's tender hold was a welcome gift when his bones were beginning to ache.

"I don't know," whispered Dean. "Some of that hand-holding led to very interesting things."

Cas grinned and let his head fall against the demon's cheek, a sigh falling from his lips when Dean nuzzled his jaw.

The demon's gentleness had come as a bit of a shock at first, but the longer they spent together, the softer Dean's touches became and Castiel began to look forward to their more domestic times, like when they were curled up on the couch together, watching a movie, or when Dean wanted to pay attention to his wings and they would sit and groom each other, sometimes for hours on end.

That wasn't to say he didn't get extremely aroused when their touches turned less innocent; don't get him wrong, the sex was great, but sometimes it felt nice to know that their whole relationship wasn't just based around it.

Dean began to trail kisses along his jaw and down his neck and Cas mused about how they still hadn't kissed each other on the lips. 

At first, Cas had been glad for it; the gesture reminded him too much of when he and Alistair had spent many evenings making out on the couch, or the bed, or anywhere else they had seen fit. For Dean to kiss him like that would've felt like a mockery of his younger life, as if he was making the same mistake all over again with a different demon. Dean had seemed perfectly okay with not kissing Cas like that either and so they never brought it up.

However, as Dean became more attentive to his needs and Cas, Dean's, the angel began to wonder if maybe it wouldn't be that bad if they did kiss. Dean's stance on the matter seemed to be crumbling as well and Cas thought it was only a matter of time until one of them broke and they would be making out like horny teenagers.

He chuckled at the thought.

Dean raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he moved in front of Cas to get better access to his chest, where the shirt had somehow been partially unbuttoned without Cas noticing.

Cas slipped an arm around Dean as the demon mouthed at the muscles in his chest and soon, Cas' wings were curling around Dean possessively. Dean smirked against his skin and Cas thumped his wing lightly over the demon's head.

"We're never going to get anything done if you keep distracting me."

Dean peppered kisses torturously slowly up his chest until their foreheads were resting against each other.

"Maybe I like distracting you. Maybe I like hearing those little moans of yours." 

Cas gasped as a hand buried itself deep into his feathers.

"Maybe I like touching you until I can see that tiny smile I love so much."

The fingers in his wing began to caress each feather gently, until Cas was practically being supported by the demon in his boneless state. He smiled when his grace pulsed happily at Dean's words.

Dean pressed a kiss to his forehead and they stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's presence.

When they finally broke apart, they sluggishly continued with dinner, sneaking private touches and brushes of wings every so often and when they sat down to eat, the clock reading half-eleven, Cas' grace was shining brightly and his wings were fluttering.

Dean seemed to be faring no better, except his wings were moving jerkily at times and Cas would have guessed he was nervous, except there was nothing to be nervous about.

They chatted amiably over dinner; at least Dean's voice seemed normal and afterwards, they cleared the table and washed their plates.

Dean's wings were still jittery and Cas was starting to get curious. He was about to confront Dean in the living room, when the demon strode up to him and attacked his throat with his mouth.

Cas groaned, mind clouding and Dean wasted no time in yanking Cas closer until their hips were grinding at each other desperately.

The demon manoeuvred them both until Cas was pinned against the wall and Dean was unbuttoning his shirt further, so he could get access to Cas' stomach.

The angel's head fell against the wall, surprised but pleased at the turn of events and he buried his hands into Dean's wings, enticing a moan from the demon when his fingers brushed an oil gland.

Dean gripped his hips tightly, seeking more friction and Cas felt a wave of desire low in his gut. Heatedly, he raised his wings, stretching them to their full length in offering and Dean's eyes flashed black as he nipped at Cas' jaw in approval.

Cas felt his eyes glow blue and his hand wandered to the demon's jeans.

Dean smirked as he felt Cas working at his belt buckle and his kisses turned tender against Cas' throat. 

The angel quickly undid the belt and was just about to undo the zip when Dean grabbed his wrist. Cas paused and glanced to Dean, eyes glowing dimly. They closed when Dean leaned in and pressed a long, soft kiss to his cheek and didn't pull away when he'd finished.

Cas felt Dean smile against his cheek and his grace flared in joy.

"I love you," Dean mouthed against his skin and Cas' whole body suddenly turned cold.

The situation had quickly become very real and Cas had let himself be taken off-guard.

He shoved harshly at Dean, making the demon stumble backwards and when Dean next glanced at him, confusion written all over his face, Cas' eyes were glowing, but for a completely different reason.

A mixture of fear, fury and horror at his own actions battled for dominance inside his mind and Cas didn't know what to do next. 

He was suddenly terrified of the demon in front of him and furious that Dean thought he could say something like that without there being repercussions. Then he was horrified that he'd let Dean get this close and this intimate with him, in a repeat of the time he'd spent with Alistair.

How could he have been so stupid as to let the same thing happen again? Dean was his prisoner, not his friend and he wasn't going to let a demon manipulate and use him for a second time. 

He wouldn't fail his brothers like that.

"Cas? What's-"

" _Shut up._ " Cas growled, his wings rising in unadulterated rage and Dean actually stepped back slightly, wings lowering in submission.

"I don't understand, what-"

In an instant, Cas had Dean pinned against the back of the couch, Dean's eyes wide with fear for just a second before his gaze turned confused once more.

"You overstep your boundaries, Dean. First you attack me in my own home, then you use me for sex because you claim boredom, then you think you can manipulate me into feeling something for you? I will not make the same mistake a second time, demon. I don't care what you claim, all your kind are the same; I know you're here for a reason and don't be so naive as to think I won't find out why."

Cas wasn't sure whether he'd said that to convince himself or with the hope that Dean would prove him wrong. 

He was heartbroken when Dean's gaze turned steely and detached. Then his thoughts turned murderous as he realised he'd been correct and Dean had been using him.

He sneered in disgust. "You're pathetic, you know that?"

He began to turn away, his grace shrinking in on itself in regret and a sense of loss, but his brain telling him he was doing the right thing, when a hand gripped his arm and yanked him back around to face Dean.

Suddenly his lips were ravaged by another pair as Dean poured all of his anger, hurt and spite into the kiss.

Cas staggered backwards as Dean pushed at his chest, a furious scowl on the demon's features and Cas hesitated as he wondered if maybe what the demon felt for him was real, before he caught sight of the black eyes and indignant dark wings and he growled lowly.

"I hope it gives you pleasure to know that you just accused the one person who may have had a glimmer of affection for you of being the same person as your demented ex," hissed Dean and Cas recoiled at the grief in his tone.

"To think I actually believed you were capable of trusting anyone but yourself," continued Dean, his wings shaking in hurt and anger. "You're just as cold as when I first met you!"

Cas wanted to take a swing at the demon, but his grace was holding him back, pleading to him see that what he was doing was wrong. Cas desperately wanted to believe his grace, but memories of a broken and disloyal relationship stopped him from doing so.

Dean was a demon, known for manipulation and lies. How could he ever think of trusting him?

"And you're the same filthy abomination as when you first came here. You're still a prisoner and don't think for a second that that has changed. You're under my observation and if you _ever_ try to use me like Alistair again, I'll strike you down without a thought. Understand?"

Dean looked as though he was going to lunge for Castiel and the angel braced just in case he did, but it never happened and Dean cast his gaze downwards.

"I thought I'd finally made you forget about him. I guess I was wrong."

It was so quiet, bitter and Cas clenched his fists at how good Dean had become at getting under his skin.

_"How could I ever forget?"_

Dean glanced up at him and Cas expected to see hatred in his eyes, but there wasn't any. Maybe a bit of resentment, but mostly it was sorrow being reflected back at him.

"I cared for you, Cas. I wanted to-" He cut himself off and shook his head. "You're still so hung up on him. You let him rule your life. Well, y'know what, Cas? He's dead and he ain't coming back." 

The demon sighed almost wearily. "You're a wreck and you won't let anyone near to fix you."

Cas' teeth ground together. That had hit a little too close to the mark.

"Let me guess: You think I should trust you to _'fix'_ me? _A demon?_ Your kind were the ones that caused the problem in the first place! I was fine until you came along! Why couldn't you and your brother have stayed with the side you belonged to instead of becoming a burden to the rest of us?"

"You were never okay! Even Gabriel admitted you seemed happier after you met me! He said he was glad that you were having a little bit of fun now and again! Your own brothers were getting worried about you!"

"You speak of me as though I'm an object to be repaired! I don't belong to you, Dean! I'm not your toy that you can put away when you get tired of me!"

"I never said you were! And what makes you think that I'm suddenly going to throw you away? Do you have so little faith and respect in me that you think I'd spend so much time with you, getting to know you and then leave you to rot when I decide I'm bored with you? Have you ever thought that maybe I like being with you? That maybe I get worried when you're at work for such long hours? That maybe I like knowing you're safe beside me when we go to bed?"

Cas tried to interject but Dean wasn't done and he stalked closer with each passing word.

"Have you ever thought that maybe I like kissing you? I like to feel you against me when we make love - and yes, love, Cas. That's what it is. It's not just sex or whatever else you're going to try and call it. I like to touch you wherever we are and I hate it when other people try to flirt with you. I love knowing that at the end of the day, I can come back here and you'll be there. I love your smiles and how your eyes sparkle when you're happy. I love the way you laugh when I surprise you. I love how your wings flutter and your eyes glow when you think I'm not watching."

By then, Dean was standing right in front of Cas and the angel was having a hard time reading his face with so many emotions passing through it at once.

" _I love you,_ Cas and I'm never going to take it back, no matter how much you want me to, no matter how much you want to hit me."

It seemed so sincere and Cas' grace flared, stubbornly telling him that what he wanted with Dean wasn't wrong and he was being stupid in trying to liken the demon to Alistair. 

His brain, on the other hand, was telling him that what Dean was saying was another deceitful plan to kill him and his brothers in the way that Alistair had wanted.

Overwhelmed with too many conflicting thoughts and feelings, Cas backed up once, twice and then he was running for the door and sprinting down the stairs and into the parking lot.

He didn't look back to see if Dean was following him or even watching him and he spread his wings wide as he took to the air, flying as fast as he could and as far away from the apartment as possible.

For a moment he swore he heard an echoing pair of wingbeats, seemingly larger and heavier than his own, but the sound faded as Cas' speed picked up and he vanished into the darkness.

 

* * *

 

"Brother, are you sure everything is alright with you and Sam?"

Gabriel flicked a wing dismissively although his heart felt like it would explode if it pumped any faster.

"As I've already told you, Mikey, everything's fine. Stop worrying."

He could feel the frown aimed at his back.

"You both seem a little... distracted as of late."

Gabriel snorted and was about to throw a retort over his shoulder when Lucifer strolled into the room, Sam in tow with cheeks as red as tomatoes.

"Yeah, with each other," quipped Lucifer and the frown Gabriel hated so much (because it meant he was thinking carefully) plastered itself across Michael's face.

"Don't strain yourself, Michael," commented Gabe, trying to keep the mood light.

Lucifer, the nosey big brother he was, glanced between his youngest brother and Sam.

"You're not banging, are you?"

Sam stiffened, Gabriel choked and Michael said nothing, but it was obvious that he'd been thinking along the same lines.

"Don't be so disgusting," huffed Gabriel, trying to distract his brothers long enough for Sam to stop his wings from flapping wildly.

It was a vain attempt and Lucifer smirked, raising an eyebrow at Sam and the younger Winchester looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him up.

"Stop intimidating the poor kid, Luci. You've scarred him enough as it is," muttered Gabriel irritably, but Michael was staring at him disapprovingly and Gabe knew he'd be having a chat with his brother soon enough.

"Take Sam out of the room, Lucifer. I wish to speak with our brother."

Gabriel sighed and Sam looked panicked as he was all but dragged from the kitchen.

"Gabriel..."

"We're not doing anything, Michael, I promise."

"Your reaction said otherwise."

"I swear we're not fooling around like that. Sam's not that type of guy."

"And you somehow know this because...?"

"Because the kid's told me about his dead fiancé and that was many years ago. He hasn't been romantically involved with anyone since."

Michael sighed and closed his eyes. Gabriel thought his brother looked very old in that moment and Gabriel felt a brief flicker of guilt at keeping secrets from him.

"You have been getting very close to Sam recently and it's not just me who's noticed it. Lucifer and Raphael have also commented upon it."

"He's my friend. Even you have to admit that he hasn't done anything to warrant being treated as a prisoner in the past ten months."

"That's not the point, Gabriel. To say he's a friend is one thing, but if you're doing what I think you're doing with him, you've crossed a line. He hasn't been granted full independence and as such, could still be our enemy."

Gabriel scowled, blood boiling at the implication that Sam was anything but sincere.

"He's not."

Michael sighed once more. "This is what I'm talking about, Gabriel. You've rushed head-first into this without thinking of the consequences once again. How can I trust your word over his behaviour when your thoughts may be biased because of your attachment to him?" 

"I'm not as naive as you seem to think I am! My _'attachment'_ to Sam will not affect my ability to judge difficult situations." _I wouldn't be with him if I didn't completely trust his word_ was what he didn't say.

Michael frowned. "You are heading down a dangerous path and I'm not sure if it would be wiser for me to hand Sam over to someone else."

Gabe's heart lurched and his grace pulsed in fear.

"What?! Why? Sam's been doing great here!"

"Is that because you were blinded by your attachment to him? I gave you this assignment with the hope that you would become more mature and cautious in your approach to handling dangerous situations. I can see I was wrong to trust you."

Gabriel seethed. It hurt that his own brother didn't have any faith in him. Michael was not taking Sam away from him, not when this thing between them was so fresh. They truly hadn't done anything that his brothers suspected them of. Sam was innocent in all of this.

"It's not an _'attachment'_ ," hissed Gabriel through clenched teeth. "Stop talking about Sam as though he's an emotionless robot. He has feelings like you and I. We practically threw him into a prison where he was alone and didn't know anyone. Most people treated him like dirt under their feet and we did nothing but interrogate him at the beginning. Excuse me for trying to make him more comfortable in a world he didn't belong to."

Michael looked ready to rebuff him, but Gabriel didn't want to hear it.

"And another thing: You can scold me all you want, but I'm not like you. I'm not the perfect little leader; I make mistakes, but I'm good at my job. I'm good at finding out things from people who don't want to be found out and so far, Sam's kept his supposed _secrets_ well-hidden."

Gabriel frowned. "So you can tell me how I've failed you and how I'm not ready to take over if anything ever happens to you or our brothers, but I'm never going to be the person you want me to be. However, I can tell you that Sam and I really haven't been doing anything involving sex. We haven't rushed into anything and we certainly haven't forgotten about the consequences."

Gabriel cast his gaze downwards, not quite having the courage to see the disappointment in his big brother's face, which made it all the more surprising when Michael frowned.

"You haven't failed me, Gabriel. And whilst you may not be ready to take over as commander, I do not expect you to lose your personality."

Gabriel blinked and his head slowly raised to stare at Michael.

"But you said-"

"Do not misunderstand me, brother. I am... dismayed at your choices involving Sam, but I may have been incorrect in thinking you haven't thought this through." He hesitated. "It may have also been wrong for me to believe you had anything but pure affection for him. I truly thought you were both seeking physical pleasure rather than emotional comfort. I can see now that your feelings for him may run much deeper than I anticipated. I'm sorry."

Gabriel's mouth opened and closed a few times, before his face settled on bewilderment.

"Still, he is under your observation and I wouldn't like for Castiel's mistake to be repeated," reminded Michael gently.

"It won't," assured Gabriel. "Family always comes first to me. You know that, brother."

Michael smiled and briefly squeezed Gabe's shoulder and Gabriel felt the need to tell his brother exactly what was going on between he and Sam so there'd be no suspicions in the future.

"We've kissed and cuddled and that's about it," said Gabriel, his wings fidgeting nervously as he scratched the back of his neck. "It's been like that for the past few weeks."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "I see."

There was an awkward pause as if Michael wasn't quite sure what to do with the information now that he had it and Gabriel felt his wings' twitching become more lively.

It was Lucifer who broke the silence from all the way in the living room.

"I love how you both seem to have forgotten that there is no door between this room and the kitchen."

Michael and Gabriel stared wide-eyed at each other and gingerly poked their heads around the archway in a way that had Lucifer cackling.

Surprisingly, Sam was smiling at Gabriel with soft eyes and Gabriel's grace flip-flopped.

Michael noticed the demon's staring and he raised a contemplative eyebrow.

"Hey. Save the sappy gazes for when we're gone, lover-boy." Lucifer gently thumped Sam over the head with a wing and both Michael and Gabriel were shocked when Sam grinned sheepishly at the bronze-winged archangel.

Their eyes grew wider when Sam's wings fluttered unabashedly behind him and Lucifer snorted in mock disgust.

"I thought demons were supposed to be hardened, masochistic warriors?"

Sam huffed. "And I though all angels were fluffy, cuddly balls of sunshine."

Lucifer grinned. "Gabe is."

"Fair point."

It was only then that Michael and Gabriel realised that _yes_ , Sam Winchester and Lucifer Novak were actually having a conversation about Gabriel's love-life and personality as if they were discussing the weather, and _no,_ Sam wasn't the tiniest bit terrified of the archangel.

"Hey! I'm right here!"

"Ten points for observational skills brother."

"You are kinda hard to see, Gabe. What are you, four-foot three, two...?"

Lucifer snickered and Sam grinned at the shortest archangel, his wings fluttering happily and Gabe realised, with a sinking feeling that he was going to have a hard time staying mad at the demon, especially when he was being so playful.

It appeared as though Sam had also found a best friend in Lucifer (how had he not noticed that before?) and the two had a similar sense of humour at Gabriel's expense.

Michael was observing the scene silently and Gabriel was pleased to find that Sam didn't seem uncomfortable by the fact that the two most powerful archangels knew about their relationship and were standing in the same room.

Gabriel's heart did weird things in his chest at the thought that Sam accepted his brothers and vice versa.

Still, to keep up appearances, he grumbled, "I liked it better when you were scared of him."

He glanced pointedly between Sam and Lucifer.

Lucifer smiled lazily. "I don't think Sam has been frightened of me for a good few weeks, brother. You may have mistook his embarrassment for fear."

Gabe raised an eyebrow. "Embarrassment?"

Sam glared at Lucifer, but there was no heat behind it.

"Your dear brother has a penchant for saying exactly the wrong thing at exactly the right time. Whilst my brother can be crude, it is rather shocking to hear a high-ranking archangel making... obscene jokes and gestures from the opposite side of the room."

Lucifer wiggled his eyebrows at Sam and Gabriel recognised the act as something he himself did. 

"My favourite was the one about your-"

"We don't need to relive them."

Gabriel raised both eyebrows then, his wings tilting slightly in curiosity and Sam sighed.

"He was particularly bad the first time we were interrupted. Remember when he kept staring at us all day? When you left the room, some of the things that came out of his mouth were enough to make any demon blush. That's why he kept glancing between us. I think my reaction was enough to let him know that there was something going on there, even if at that point, we hadn't actually done anything."

Lucifer chuckled at the memory. "Yeah, your awkwardness was a bit of a giveaway."

Gabriel cast his mind back to that day. "You made me squirm with all of that staring. I thought Cas had possessed your body."

Lucifer smirked. "It was rather amusing to watch you both fidget."

Sam rolled his eyes and Gabriel thought they were going to disappear into the back of his head, but thankfully, they came back.

"Good to know. Now can we talk about something other than our love life?" Sam was so casual about it that Gabriel was almost convinced they'd been in a relationship for at least five years. It took a while for his mind to come down from the clouds and for him to realise that Michael had crossed the floor to sit on the couch and now all three of them were looking at him impatiently.

"Today, Gabriel?" Lucifer drawled and Gabriel shuffled over.

He was about to sit on one of the single seats when he realised that there was no need to and he squeezed in next to Sam on the other couch.

Sam seemed content with this and immediately, a large wing wrapped itself around Gabe's back and tugged him closer.

Lucifer smirked and Michael merely flicked a wing in acknowledgement.

Gabriel could feel his cheeks burning, still reeling at how Sam felt it was perfectly okay to cuddle with Gabe in front of his brothers and highest commanders of the angels.

"If you're going to be like that every time he touches you, I'm going to bring a camera everywhere we go."

"Shut it." Gabriel stuck his tongue out on an impulse and Lucifer's grin widened.

Michael shook his head. _"Children,"_ he warned but the quirk to the corners of his lips did not go unnoticed.

Gabriel finally relaxed. If Michael was being playful, then he saw no reason to be on the alert.

Sam's wing tightened around him and he leaned further into the demon as conversation flowed easily between them all. 

By the end of the afternoon, Lucifer was practically sprawled out on the couch and even Michael had slouched a little more than usual. 

When it was time for the two oldest archangels to leave, they shook hands with Sam and Gabriel (Lucifer pulling his brother in for a bone-crushing, one-armed hug) and made for the door, pausing when Michael turned around to face Sam.

His face was void of emotions when he locked gazes with the demon.

"Hurt my brother and I'll kill you whilst you sleep."

The humour faded from Sam's face and Gabriel was just about to rebuff his brother when Sam, wearing a determined expression, held his chin up.

"Sir, if I ever hurt your brother, I'll do it myself."

Michael raised an eyebrow but nodded respectfully as he whirled on his heel and left the house, Lucifer's wings bouncing as he walked beside his brother.

When they were out of sight, Gabriel turned to stare incredulously at the demon.

Sam pretended not to notice as he cleared the cups from the living room and placed them in the kitchen. Gabriel quickly followed him and snaked his arms around Sam's waist, burying his head between the demon's shoulder blades.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Gabriel trying to wrap his head around how much Sam cared for him and Sam lost in his own thoughts.

Suddenly, the demon turned to face Gabe and captured his lips sweetly with his own. There was no desperation, no heated arousal, just the desire to know that the other was there.

When they pulled apart, Sam rested his head against Gabriel's.

"Thanks for defending me before. When you were with Michael. You didn't have to do that."

Gabriel frowned. "Of course I do. You're my friend as well as... whatever's going on between us." _'Boyfriend'_ sounded weird.

Sam smiled softly. "If you were a demon, you would've been reprimanded quite severely for talking back to the high commander."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a demon and the high commander just so happens to be my brother."

Sam nuzzled at his hair and Gabe closed his eyes contentedly.

"I meant what I said," mumbled Sam quietly and Gabriel could almost hear the frown in his voice. "I really do love you."

"It's not me you have to convince, kiddo. Although I don't think Mikey and Luci are going to have many difficulties in believing you after that little scene."

Sam pressed a kiss to his forehead and Gabe's grip around the demon tightened.

"If it's any consolation, I'm pretty far gone on you, too," murmured Gabe and he realised that he didn't feel the least bit worried by that fact as Sam's wings wound around them both.

They remained like that for an hour.

 

* * *

 

Dean paced the floor, his wings jerking agitatedly behind him. It had been three days since Castiel had left and nobody had seen any sign of him. After the first night, when he hadn't returned, Dean had called Gabriel and the other archangels to say he'd gone missing. He'd even tried Balthazar on the off-chance that they were together. No-one had seen him.

He'd been asked what had happened to cause Cas' odd behaviour and Dean, swallowing his pride and opting to tell the truth for once, had explained that he and Cas had had an argument and he may have upset the angel. The exact nature of the argument wasn't revealed.

He was surprised when the worst chewing-out he'd received was from his own brother.

In his defence, he had tried to chase the angel when he'd first left, but Castiel's smaller body, coupled with an angel's lighter wings proved too fast for Dean to even consider catching up.

With no leads and his tail between his legs, Dean set out the next afternoon with the intent to search every possible hiding place within a twenty-mile radius. It was a long day.

He'd traipsed in, defeated and exhausted and collapsed on the couch, thinking it wrong to sleep on the bed when Cas was alone and possibly lost.

The next morning there had been a major attack on one of the surrounding villages; fifteen dead and twenty-two injured and Dean's heart lodged itself in his throat as his grace contorted painfully.

He sped to the village, praying that he wouldn't find a body with blue eyes and raven hair. His prayers were answered, but he still had no idea where the angel was.

The archangels and some of Castiel's friends' searches had also turned up fruitless and Dean returned after another day's searching, on the verge of collapse and with a sinking feeling in his gut.

His nightmares consisted of a familiar angel bleeding out onto the floor; his once pristine wings tattered and broken and his baby blue eyes dimming to grey. He awoke a mere two hours later, sweating and breathing heavily, his wings shaking erratically and he came to the conclusion that he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep that night.

He sipped a cup of coffee until the first rays of sun entered the apartment and he shot off into the dawn light, restarting his search for the wayward angel.

At eleven in the evening, he admitted defeat and slumped onto the couch, ignoring his stomach as it growled in protest at not having been fed for over thirty-six hours. 

Bones aching and wings twitching restlessly, his eyes slipped shut and he dosed for about ten minutes before the same nightmare from the previous evening wormed its way into his mind and his eyes shot open, deep black from lingering horror.

He sprang to his feet moments later and paced the floor, hoping to clear his overworked mind and come up with a solution on how to proceed and that's where he found himself now; clueless and agitated.

Suddenly, the door creaked open and Dean froze as a familiar head peeked around it.

The figure scowled at him, obviously annoyed at having been caught and stepped into the apartment less cautiously as he locked the door and wandered into the bedroom, completely ignoring Dean as he did so.

In shock, Dean did nothing to stop him and continued to gape at the door until Castiel returned a few minutes later wearing a clean set of clothes.

He then made his way into the kitchen, refusing to acknowledge the demon and poured himself a cup of coffee, pulling a face as the bitter liquid passed through his lips.

"It's rude to stare," muttered Castiel without lifting his eyes from the cup.

Dean lunged for him.

Castiel stiffened, ready for a fight, but his eyes went wide as the demon crushed him into a hug and buried his face into his neck, wings quivering.

"What are you-"

"I thought you were dead!" Dean hissed as he pulled back and glared at the angel and Cas' eyes narrowed warningly.

"I've been searching for you for three days!" Dean continued, wings shaking in unrestrained anger.

Cas growled. "You obviously didn't look hard enough."

Dean pounced on the angel, pinning him against the counter, but he couldn't tell whether it was out of spite or wanting to make sure that the angel was actually there.

"I called your brothers and your friends, hoping they'd seen you. I even called the police! Do you realise how many people have been looking for you? Then there was the attack on that village-"

"What?"

Dean sneered. "Not heard the news lately? One of the villages near here was bombed. Fifteen dead, more injured. I thought..." He trailed off, not wanting to think about the nightmares he'd been having.

"Well, I'm not," huffed Cas, although there seemed to be less heat behind his words. Dean sighed heavily, relief seeping through his body as he let his head hang low.

"Where have you been? We've been searching everywhere for you."

Cas frowned. "I booked into the hotel a couple miles from here."

Dean blinked. "You booked...into... a..." He groaned. "I should've checked your credit card usage!"

"Where did you think I'd be?"

Dean looked down sheepishly. "Some cardboard box in a back alley."

Cas snorted. "When I have a bank account?"

"I...uh... I didn't think about that."

"And you said you called my brothers?"

"Apparently they didn't think about that either."

Cas shook his head. "Typical." He hesitated as he contemplated the embarrassed demon.

"Dean... why did you call my brothers?"

Dean's gaze snapped back to the angel, confusion evident on his face as he replied: "Because I was worried about you? I didn't know where you were."

Cas frowned. "Why though? We were fighting. Why would you care?"

Dean blinked, becoming more puzzled by the second.

"Why should that matter? Big deal, people fight all the time. Doesn't mean I can't be worried about you, especially when there's an attack."

Cas stared at him as if trying to figure out the motive behind Dean's actions.

"Look, Cas. I'm sorry for freaking you out. I guess I didn't think about the similarities between me and... well, you know. I won't bring it up ever again," sighed Dean wearily. He was getting tired of all the arguing; he just wanted Cas to be safe. 

"But promise me one thing. Promise that you won't do that again. I don't think I'd be able to get through a second time without having a breakdown." Dean huffed and lowered his gaze, still trying to convince himself that Cas was actually here.

Cas paused and really looked at Dean. He took in the paler than usual skin, the bags under his eyes and the minute twitching of his dishevelled wings before he sighed quietly.

"I promise."

Dean offered a weak smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Awesome," he choked as he felt his knees begin to buckle after all the strain of the past few days.

The angel caught him easily and rolled his eyes.

"Have you slept at all these past few days?"

"Not really," admitted Dean, his eyelids growing heavy.

The angel sighed again as if making a decision and led the demon to the bedroom, gently placing him on the bed.

"Sleep, Dean. I'll watch over you."

Dean snuggled into the pillow, content with the knowledge Castiel was by his side.

"Cas?"

"Yes?"

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"...I know, Dean. I shouldn't have run away. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"...Are we good?"

"...Yes."

Dean smiled and wrapped an arm around Cas' waist. He needed to know that the angel was still there even when his eyes were closed.

Cas seemed to be reading his mind.

"Sleep, Dean. I'll be here when you wake up." The angel shuffled closer, gingerly placing his hand over Dean's.

When Dean awoke the next morning, Cas was curled around him, wings covering them both and Dean's grace warmed. He wrapped his arms tight around the angel and pulled him close, nuzzling into the soft skin of his neck. Cas stirred and began to rub gently at Dean's back and the demon buried his hands into Cas' wings.

"Missed you," murmured Dean sleepily and Cas hummed in approval as clever fingers teased at his feathers. 

"'M sorry." The angel mumbled as he pressed closer, voice thick with sleep.

"You're warm," commented Dean and Cas gently rolled him over, eyes still closed as he lay partially on top of the demon.

Dean groaned in approval as a pair of slightly chapped lips met his own and the pair kissed lazily as the first rays of dawn shone through the blinds.

Dean coiled an arm securely around Cas' waist and the angel smiled into the kiss, cupping Dean's face tenderly.

Cas tasted like coffee and there was something that reminded Dean of forests and fresh air as the angel's tongue tangled with his own.

As the kiss lengthened, Dean's brain became a little more alert and he slowly pulled away from Cas, reasoning with himself that he was taking advantage of the angel in his tired state when Cas had already made it quite clear that he didn't want to be affiliating himself with a demon.

Cas frowned and his eyes opened fully.

"Dean?"

Dean almost believed that Castiel was fully aware they had been making out.

"Hold on, Cas. You'll regret this later. Go back to sleep."

"...I won't regret it, Dean."

"You're tired, darlin'. Go back to sleep."

"I am completely in control of my actions."

Dean paused. "You do realise you just kissed me?"

"I am aware. Can we get back to it now?"

Dean bolted upright, fully awake. "You want to kiss me? After everything that's happened?"

Cas sighed as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"I was thinking long and hard about this last night and I realised you're right. I never take any risks and I'm letting one mistake rule my life. You've made me happier than I've been in a long time and if you'll let me, I want to see where it takes me. So yes, I want to kiss you. I want to do a lot more with you... if you want to."

Dean beamed and pulled Cas back on top of him, pouring all his relief, joy and excitement into the kisses that followed and Cas responded eagerly, wrapping his wings around the demon and letting his hands wander up his shirt and across his chest.

Dean grinned in between kisses. "I love you."

Cas smiled back shyly, wings fluttering behind him. "I love you, too."

Dean's grace soared.

Two days later, they remembered to call off the search for the missing angel.

 

* * *

 

In Sam's opinion, Gabe's kisses were the best. Each one was different; sometimes they were teasing, playful, other times they were long and sweet and sometimes, they made Sam want to throw Gabriel against the nearest flat surface and bend him over.

This was one of former turning into one of the latter.

Sam moaned as Gabriel pulled him on top of him as they stretched out on the couch, Star Wars rumbling quietly over the TV's speakers.

Sam hummed as his and Gabriel's tongues tangled hotly. The angel had his hand buried in Sam's hair (a favourite place of Gabriel's) and the other plunged deep into his feathers as his wings curled possessively around Sam's body. 

The demon let out a short gasp which was instantly swallowed by the angel as Gabriel scraped his teeth lightly over Sam's bottom lip. Sam tightened his grip around both bases of Gabe's wings and was pleased with the echoing gasp made by the archangel.

However, Gabriel obviously saw this as a challenge and he trailed his hand along the wing until Sam moaned loudly when he felt a finger slide into his oil gland.

"Gabe..."

The angel grinned wickedly and captured Sam's lips again to quieten his groans as the finger slipped in and out of the gland.

Sam was in too much pleasure to notice. It had been years since Jessica and whilst he had partaken in a handful of one-night stands since then, he hadn't had this kind of intensity with anyone for a long, long time. He and Gabriel had barely done anything and Sam was already beginning to lose it.

The finger was removed and quickly replaced with a tongue and Sam let his head press into Gabriel's neck. 

He couldn't understand why these sensations were proving too much for him to handle when they hadn't even started, but Gabriel either didn't notice or didn't care, because now he was sucking gently at the gland, trying to provoke little whimpers from Sam's lips (and succeeding).

Determined to even the score, Sam began to undo the shirt ties around Gabe's wings, efficiently removing the material from Gabriel's chest so he could get better access to the soft skin underneath.

Gabe shivered as Sam's mouth began working at a bicep and the angel let out a sigh, his grip on Sam tightening.

Sam paused and closed his eyes in bliss when Gabriel arched up against him. He rolled his hips in reply and Gabriel whined quietly.

"Sam, please..."

It was then that Sam realised why he was having such a strong reaction to Gabriel. His one-night stands had been just that: a one time thing with no strings attached, but Gabriel was different. He wanted this angel for more than just sex and knowing for certain that Gabe wanted him just as much made his grace try to leap out of his chest.

"Sam!"

The demon was jolted out of his thoughts when Gabriel ground his hips sharply into his own and Sam hissed as the scratchy fabric rubbed against his skin.

Wasting no time, Sam moved to undo Gabriel's belt as the angel's head fell backwards, the moan he produced sending shivers down Sam's spine.

He startled slightly when Gabe's hand slipped down the back of his jeans, before his eyes slid to black and he was nipping encouragingly at the angel's jaw.

Gabriel's eyes glowed softly as his breathing deepened and Sam decided that Gabriel needed to look like this more often; spread out beneath him, needy and moaning loudly.

Sam growled and claimed Gabriel's mouth possessively. Something about the archangel begging him was beginning to send his demonic instincts haywire and his thoughts turned from _'playful golden-haired tease'_ to _'MINE!'_ in less than a second.

"Need you," whimpered Gabriel into his mouth as Sam pressed hotly against him.

Sam's grace flared and hammered against his chest and he had to physically restrain it from trying to merge with the archangel's, who's grace also seemed to be attempting to make a break for it.

This should have worried them both, after all, grace bonding was a sacred thing and few attempted it due to its permanency and the fact that if one partner died, the other tended to die as well because of the pain and heartbreak of losing the sensation of their partner's grace against their own. Not to mention a bond left no secrets unshared and most believed that their partner didn't need to know every little action and every past thought they had; it was too much of a privacy breach. 

A lot graces weren't even compatible with each other, which put strain on the relationship and may physically hurt each party if these types were to bond. This was the main reason the practice of bonding had died out centuries ago; few people thought it worth having the intimacy and completeness of a bond when there was a significant chance of death if their mate wasn't the _'Right One'_.

It was even more unheard of for an angel and demon to bond, not only because of the opposing factions, but also because of the stark differences between the two races' graces.

However, instead of Sam and Gabriel backing away from each other in horror to calm down their respective graces (and thoughts), they only seemed to get more aroused by the fact that their graces wanted to leap at each other.

Gabriel's fingers grasped desperately at the ties around Sam's wings and the demon fanned his wings over the angel's body protectively. 

Sam trailed nips and kisses down Gabriel's throat. This angel was his; it didn't matter what others thought, Gabriel belonged to him.

He felt the ties loosen around his wings and he smirked as hands roamed under his shirt, caressing where feathers met skin.

Sam began to work his own jeans off and Gabriel murmured in approval as they began to grind against each other. 

The angel quickly moved to get rid of his underwear and Sam slipped an arm around his waist to pull him closer, his thoughts consisting only of wanting to please the beautiful archangel beneath him. 

"Love you," whispered Sam breathlessly before diving back in for his mouth and Gabriel's wings smacked the couch as desire flared strong in his chest.

"Please," begged Gabriel shamelessly and Sam held the archangel's now-bare hips still as he shifted into a better position to claim Gabriel.

Suddenly, there was a loud, impatient banging on the front door.

Gabriel and Sam glanced at each other, eyes wide when Raphael's voice called out.

_"Gabriel? Are you in?"_

The archangel bit his lip, silently asking Sam to stay quiet. Sam didn't know how long he could keep it up when Gabriel's gorgeous body was splayed so closely to his own.

_"Gabriel, I will come in if you're ignoring me. I still have your key. Are you going to answer the door?"_

Sam and Gabe stared at each other, panic in their expressions as they furiously wished for the other archangel to disappear.

 _"Alright, brother. I suppose you're not in."_ The tone suggested that Raphael didn't believe his own words.

_"I'll come in to check though, should I? You and Sam maybe be busy, after all."_

Gabriel choked and Sam fell off the couch, quickly wriggling back into his pants and glaring at the archangel until he did the same. The pair scrambled to pull on their clothes as the lock began to click open.

Raphael paced into the house, rounding the corner into the living room without a second thought.

He came to a halt in front of the pair, sapphire wings flicking in amusement at their innocent faces and suspiciously scruffy hair and feathers.

"Didn't you hear me, brother? I did knock."

Gabriel shook his head embarrassedly and Sam's gaze plummeted to the floor.

"Oh well, no harm done. You're here now," mused Raphael, but the tiny grin lighting his face gave away his true thoughts.

"Did you need something, brother?" Asked Gabriel, rather curtly.

"Actually, I do. We have another lead on the traitor and we need you to come down to the base immediately." Raphael's face had quickly cleared of all playfulness and now his wings were stiff and anxious, his concern for the situation beginning to show.

Gabriel's face also fell, his wings twitching in worry and Sam couldn't help but feel sorry for the archangels when they were under so much pressure and stress. 

"Of course. I'll follow you." He glanced apologetically to Sam and the demon quickly smiled.

"It's alright, Gabe. Your brothers need your help. Go."

Gabriel smiled gratefully and even Raphael nodded his thanks.

"I'll see you later?" Gabriel half-asked as he turned to the door and Sam grinned.

"Maybe."

Both archangels rolled their eyes and Sam watched them leave, his smile fading when they were out of sight. He slumped onto the couch and let his head fall into his hands with a groan.

Were he and Gabriel destined to be interrupted every time they tried to spend any time together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Sam and Gabe... Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I don't think I'm even half way through this story yet! It's going to take a while to get everything uploaded, but there is a lot more plot ahead!


	11. Chapter 11

Cas was aching to reach out and wrap his lover in his wings. The demon was too far away in his opinion and if Dean's constant minute twitching of his wings was anything to go by, the demon was beginning to contemplate scooting over and sitting himself in Cas' lap. Cas half-hoped he would.

Michael's eyes were darting between them both every now and again and Lucifer was openly staring at Dean's wings, trying to discern their movements.

Dean and Cas had been careful these past four weeks and so far had done a brilliant job in keeping their affair secret. However, Michael and Lucifer had started visiting more often for some reason, and were making it painfully obvious that they were watching Dean and Cas' every little move. Cas wasn't sure what they'd done to deserve this treatment, but he wasn't about to question the archangels about it.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though Dean was getting rather tired of all the scrutiny and Cas wasn't certain if the demon would just get up one day and crush their lips together in front of his brothers. Or maybe Balthazar. Dean tended to get jealous around him.

Cas' mind wandered back to the memory of what had happened the last time Balthazar had talked to Castiel in that flirty manner of his and when he'd left, Dean had slammed him against the wall and proceeded to smash their lips together, efficiently claiming Cas as his. The demon had growled filthy words into his ear about how he was going to _'punish'_ Cas for flirting with the other angel and Cas had melted into a little puddle of whimpering want as Dean dragged him into the bedroom.

"Brother? Are you quite alright?"

Cas snapped out of his daydream and focused his attention on Michael.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, fine. What was it you were saying about the spy?"

Michael eyed him for a minute before conceding defeat.

"That's the problem. We don't think he is a spy. It's more likely that he's one of our own gone rogue. Someone who's of high rank and maybe got a grudge against the system or certain individuals, which means he has a lot of valuable information about us and should that be used against us..." Michael trailed off quietly, his thoughts racing and an odd look crossed Dean's face that Castiel couldn't quite decipher.

"The only problem is, we've been chasing this guy for months," continued Lucifer. "And the trail keeps getting cold. Every time we think we've cornered him, he keeps escaping. He's two steps ahead of us and it looks like he's not going to go down without a fight."

Michael frowned in thought as he turned to Dean.

"This may not be appropriate after spending over twelve months with us, but can you remember anyone in your previous ranks who might've been getting information from an outside source?"

Dean's expression quickly mirrored Michael's and Castiel could tell he was in deep thought.

"The only people who could act on that kind of info is Crowley, Amara or the government and I know for a fact that Crowley didn't have anyone confiding to him because me and Sammy were directly under him and as such, would receive all of his confidential calls."

"And what of Abaddon? Could she not have gained information from someone inside angel walls?"

Dean shook his head. "Abaddon was detained a while back. Apparently she threatened Crowley and tried to take his place as high commander. Crowley made sure she never made that mistake again."

Michael and Lucifer shared a brief glance but Castiel knew that something meaningful had been traded in that look. Castiel thought it odd that Michael had asked the question in the first place; hadn't the archangels already known about Abaddon's fate? He was sure that Lucifer himself had infiltrated demon territory to gain that information.

"I see. How likely is it that Amara has been taking or even trading information with an angel within our base?" Michael was watching Dean carefully and Cas couldn't help but feel that Dean was being tested on his truthfulness.

Dean seemed oblivious.

"Trading information is highly unlikely, no offence, but she hates you guys with a passion; she wouldn't be caught dead spilling secrets to an angel. If this rogue of yours is working wholly for demons though, she may consider just taking it, but it's still a long-shot considering the lengths she'll go to get rid of you. I doubt she'd trust him for as long as you guys have been trying to catch him."

Michael's wings flicked once and Lucifer's followed soon after. Both archangel's wore strange, almost pleased expressions as they addressed Dean.

"Are you suggesting that someone in parliament is meeting with our rogue?"

Dean shrugged. "I suppose. I can't think of anyone else who'd talk to angels barring me and Sammy."

A small smile crossed Michael's face. 

"Thank you, Dean. We will keep this in mind."

Dean returned the smile, but his face held some confusion as if he'd just worked out that Michael and Lucifer had been judging his responses.

"As we said when we first came: we're happy to offer any assistance," replied Dean, frowning as he thought about the conversation and tried to work out if he'd said or done anything to offend.

Cas grinned. He loved that Dean had become so willing to help him whenever he needed it and now it appeared as though that sentiment was extending towards his brothers.

Michael nodded before turning his attention to Castiel.

"Which brings us to you, brother."

Cas cocked his head curiously and Michael continued.

"We need you and Balthazar to slip into demon defences. We need to see if someone is meeting our rogue at the border. You won't have to go too far into their territory, but you do need to remain hidden so that another angel cannot detect you. If there is an affiliation there, I suspect it will take place during the night, when visibility is poor, so you'll have to be on alert through those hours. 

"Anna and Uriel have been intercepting any letters that look suspicious, but so far their efforts have proved fruitless, meaning the option of meeting face to face is looking more likely."

Cas noticed the minute stiffening of Dean's wings and his muscles tensed when Michael finally finished.

"When would you like us to leave?" Cas asked, opting to ask Dean about it later.

"As soon as possible," replied Michael. "But I don't want anything to jeopardise your position, so I'm putting you on radio silence. You and Balthazar can swap out each dusk and dawn so you both get rest at some point, but I want you to stay hidden in the same place when you do; it's too risky to have you flying back here each day. At the end of the week, I'll relieve you both and Zachariah and Anna can take your place. We'll keep to this rota until we catch them, or too much time elapses and we are forced to abort."

"What if we do see them? Should we apprehend them?" 

"No. Report directly to me; I cannot risk your lives with so many demons guarding the area. It would be foolish. Make sure that you have a good look at them, though. I want this angel caught and for that, we need to know who he is."

Castiel nodded, his wings bowing slightly out of respect.

Lucifer snorted. "Really, brother? You know you don't have to be so formal around us. You're family. How many times do we have to say it?"

Castiel ducked his head. "Force of habit."

The archangels shook their heads before Michael glanced at the clock. 

"It's time we take out leave." He glanced at Cas, his gratefulness apparent. "Thank you, Castiel and good luck. We expect to see you back in one piece." 

Michael turned as Lucifer smirked and followed him out of the apartment.

When Castiel had locked the door, Dean exploded.

"You can't go!"

Cas startled. "What? Dean, what are you talking about?"

The demon's wings twitched nervously. 

"You can't go over there. If they spot you, they'll kill you on sight! They don't take prisoners the same way as you guys do."

Cas raised an eyebrow. "I'm quite aware. I've been doing this job for many years."

Dean bit his lip and it was so uncharacteristic, Cas had to wonder if the demon wasn't ill.

"I don't want you getting shot. I know quite a few people on guard duty who would take sick pleasure in killing you slowly, drawing out the pain."

Cas let a small smile worm its way onto his face. 

"I'm flattered by your concern, but you realise I am a special agent? I have done this exact mission many times over and have not yet been captured, just as you have done it for your species. Not too long ago, we were considered as equal opponents."

Dean huffed. "Just 'cause it's your job, doesn't mean I have to like it."

Cas laughed at the childishness. "No, but it does mean you have to accept it." In truth, his heart had just melted at the thought that Dean cared for him enough to want to protect him from every little thing, but he still had a mission to complete and his brothers needed him.

Dean slumped and Cas edged towards him.

"What if you do get caught, though? There's a first time for everything."

"Then you have my permission to say _'I told you so'_."

"That's not what I mean." Dean sighed heavily and Cas quickly wrapped his arms around him, smiling when Dean leaned into the touch.

"I feel like I just got you. I don't want to lose you, not now, not ever and already, you're being taken away from me. I don't want you to come back in a box."

Cas pressed a gentle kiss to Dean's jaw.

"I promise I'll come back, Dean. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not planning on going anywhere any time soon and I don't plan on getting shot by a couple of inexperienced demons. How many times did you catch me when I infiltrated your defences in the past?"

Dean buried his face into Cas' neck. _"Zero."_

Cas ran a soothing hand over an agitated wing.

"Exactly the same number of times that you were caught on this side." He pulled back and forced Dean to look at him.

"I'm coming back, Dean. If you think getting rid of me is going to be that easy, you're in for a surprise. I'm not as helpless as you think."

Dean huffed as he pressed his face back into Cas' neck and the angel held his lover tighter, their wings brushing each other comfortingly.

"Did they have to put you with Balthazar, though?" And Cas laughed warmly as he threaded his fingers through the demon's hair.

"I love you," he murmured after a moment and Dean left a sweet kiss on his neck.

"I love you, too."

They curled around each other that night, Dean keeping a tight grip on Cas as the angel slept and in the early hours of the morning, Castiel slipped out of bed, pressing a soft kiss to the demon's head and left the apartment without waking his lover.

 

* * *

 

"So, Michael's thinking of asking Cas to infiltrate demon defences this afternoon."

Sam raised an eyebrow as he closed his novel.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, apparently we're taking desperate measures to intercept this traitor and Cas is the one for the job."

"You're plotting. I can practically hear it in your voice."

Gabriel placed a hand over his heart. 

"I would never!"

The demon stared at him, unimpressed and Gabriel shrugged sheepishly.

"Okay, maybe a little. We're up to our wings in paperwork and my brothers are having panic attacks at the office. The government officials aren't helping any because they're blaming us for letting this guy slip past us unnoticed and we're still no further on as to knowing the guy's identity. We're in a mess, really."

"Out with it, Gabe."

Gabriel shifted from one foot to the other. When did Sam get so perceptive? Scratch that, Sam was always perceptive; how did he get so good at reading Gabriel?

"Well, since I'm not going to be here all that often and Cas is away for the week, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to go and visit your brother? See how he's holding up, I mean, he must be lonely, right?"

Sam narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, sure... Why the sudden need for me to ask about my brother's well-being? He's a big boy, he can handle an empty apartment for a week."

Darn Sam and his curiousness.

"I just... thought it might be good for you to spend some quality time together, now that you can."

"Uh huh. What's the real reason?"

Gabe let his wings sag and he sighed in defeat. 

"I'm nosey and I think there's something going on between him and my little brother and I know you've seen it too, so don't look at me like that."

Sam grinned.

"I knew it! You're a terrible liar, Gabe."

"No, I'm terrible with _you._ Everyone else seems to buy it," pouted Gabriel, but his expression turned soft when Sam pulled him into his lap and he nuzzled the demon's cheek.

"So you've noticed it too?" Asked Sam with a chuckle and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"There's some real eye-sex going on between those two. I'd be surprised if it hadn't turned into actual sex."

"They don't even try to hide it."

"I know! I gag every time they're in a room together."

"I suppose we shouldn't judge. We're not exactly innocent in this whole relationship thing."

"We are totally innocent! We're not the ones in each other's beds."

Gabriel felt the smirk in his hair.

"That could change."

Now, there was an interesting thought.

"Oh? Do tell."

Sam grinned and his hand began to wander up Gabriel's shirt.

"I do love our conversations," hummed Gabriel as he shifted to press his lips against Sam's.

"I'm glad they're acceptable to you," murmured Sam as his other hand slithered around Gabe's waist.

"Oh, they're _very_ acceptable." Gabriel straddled the younger man and pressed him against the back of the couch as his hand slipped into the front of Sam's jeans.

The demon closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips and he wrapped his wings around the angel.

Gabe grinned and mouthed gently at Sam's collarbone.

"I want you so much, babe." Gabriel mumbled against soft skin. "Been waiting for this far too long."

Sam hummed. "Gabe..." he cupped the angel's jaw and crushed their lips together. "Dreamed of you. Need you."

Gabe's grace warmed and his wings pressed into Sam's as the demon's other hand began undoing his shirt.

Gabriel quickly grabbed his wrist.

"Wait. Lets take this upstairs."

Sam's eyes slid to black and suddenly Gabriel was being lifted from the couch, his legs wrapped around Sam's hips and he was carried up the stairs without hesitation.

"My room," gasped Gabriel, his own eyes glowing in a mixture of surprise and arousal. Sam paused uncertainly but Gabe nipped at the demon's jaw and he soon found his back hitting a soft mattress.

"Sam," breathed the angel and the demon claimed his mouth as his body covered the smaller man's.

Gabriel fumbled for Sam's shirt as his own was removed and the demon growled appreciatively. 

A shiver passed down his spine; he was quickly developing a love for possessive Sam and the animalistic growls were definitely doing awesome things to his grace.

Gabriel was snapped out of his musings when he heard his belt click undone and his pants were dragged down his legs. He moaned when a mouth trailed up the inside of his thigh, a tongue teasing at the tender skin.

"Sam, please..." groaned Gabe. Sam still had too many clothes on in his opinion, which was wholly unfair considering the angel was lying beneath him as naked as the day he was born.

Sam grinned and shimmied back up to press their lips together, tongues sliding over one another and Gabe worked to undo the demon's jeans.

The angel slipped the jeans off easily and Sam entwined their fingers as his other hand tangled in Gabe's soft hair.

Their wings pressed against each other and Gabriel felt the strong need to mark this demon as his own. Sam seemed to have the same idea and he moved to pepper kisses along one magnificent golden wing.

Gabe used his free hand to tease at one of Sam's oil glands and was surprised at the speed at which the oil trickled from the tiny area. It glistened in the morning light and Gabe's breath caught in his throat as he watched the liquid flow down dark feathers.

Sam whimpered quietly and Gabe's gaze snapped to the demon.

"Let me...?" Pleaded Sam desperately and Gabriel's eyes glowed brighter; this demon wanted to claim him! Nobody had ever wanted him like that before, not even Kali, who he'd spent a good couple of years with.

Instead of replying, he fanned out his wings in offering and watched as Sam's eyes widened and a bright smile plastered itself onto the demon's face.

Sam kissed him so tenderly and with so much emotion that Gabe had to reel in his grace to stop it from leaping at the other man.

Sam lined up his wings with Gabriel's and was just about to press his oil into the angel's feathers when the phone rang.

The pair froze, a sense of foreboding overcoming them both.

The ringtone switched to the answer phone as the message began recording.

 _"Gabriel? Gabriel? It's Lucifer. We need you to sort out a call with parliament. They've been getting on to us about the leak in our forces and Michael and I need to sort out the details with Castiel, so we could use your help."_

The archangel sounded frazzled and Gabriel let his head fall back against the pillow as the recording clicked off.

"Why couldn't we just have _one_ time where there's no interruptions?" Gabriel asked no one in-particular as he closed his eyes.

Sam pushed off him and came to lie by his side, wrapping an arm around Gabriel's hips as he did so.

"Maybe it's an omen," he snorted and Gabriel huffed as he turned on his side to bury his face in Sam's chest.

"Tell whoever cares that I don't give a flying fig about whether they think we should be together or not."

Sam chuckled. "They might not be too happy about that."

"I'm not too happy about the fact we've still not managed to do the do."

"You're such a child."

"You love me for it."

Sam grinned and pulled the archangel closer. "I do."

They sat like that for a few minutes, with Sam curled around Gabriel contentedly and the archangel's heart flip-flopping in his chest, before Sam pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek.

"You better go. Your brothers need you."

 _"Again,"_ grumbled Gabriel and Sam squeezed him gently.

"I don't expect anything else from an archangel. You have responsibilities. I don't mind, honestly."

"I do," whined Gabriel as he stroked Sam's thicker wings. "I want to spend at least some time with you."

Sam arched into the touch. "Glad to hear it, but you shouldn't give up everything for me."

Gabriel propped himself up on one elbow as he stared at Sam.

"And you shouldn't have so little confidence that you think you don't deserve to be cherished."

Sam flushed and averted his gaze as Gabriel guessed what had obviously been bugging him the past few weeks.

"You _are_ an archangel."

"And you a demon. Glad we're not having an identity crisis."

"You know what I mean."

"It didn't seem to bother you before. You were pretty okay with defiling an archangel a few minutes ago." Gabriel waggled his eyebrows ridiculously and Sam couldn't help the small smile.

"I was a little distracted."

"I'd say you were a lot distracted."

"Shut up, Gabe," huffed Sam as he shoved at the archangel.

Gabriel cupped Sam's cheek and pressed their lips together and when he pulled back, he stroked his thumb over the tanned skin.

"I mean it, Sam. I'm honoured that you'd even think of wanting me the way you do. Nobody has ever needed me so much, not even Kali."

Sam's wings puffed out at the mention of the name and Gabriel chuckled.

"No need to get all protective. I'm definitely not bothered by anything she does anymore. You though, I care a lot about you. You're fun and kind and I don't want you thinking that you're not good enough when you're so much better."

Sam looked away, his wings fidgeting embarrassedly and Gabriel nuzzled his jaw.

"I love you, Sam Winchester and I don't care if you are a demon. You're mine and you love me back and that's all that matters. If anyone has anything to say about us, they can kindly get lost."

Sam's face was redder than Gabriel had ever seen before and the demon refused to look at him.

"You better help your brothers," he choked out quietly, but Gabriel could hear the relief in his tone and he smiled warmly and kissed the demon's nose.

"I'll see you later, Sam."

 

* * *

 

"What's eating you, Dean? You look like somebody just ripped up the Impala with a chainsaw."

Dean glared at his little brother. "Shut up, Sam. Nothing's wrong."

Sam stared at him disbelievingly and Dean focused his gaze on his coffee mug.

Somehow, Sam had convinced him to go out to lunch with him whilst Cas was away, so here they were, the two of them sitting in some quaint little corner cafe that Sam had insisted on, trying to spend some _'quality time'_ with each other now that they'd been left to roam freely.

Great idea that was.

"Don't you know it's rude to stare?"

Sam sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"C'mon, Dean! What's the matter with you. This is the first time we've been completely alone without anyone watching us. Lighten up!"

Easy for Sam to say. He wasn't in a constant state of panic as to whether his boyfriend (was that what they were now?) was coming home alive or dead within the next week. What if he didn't come home at all?

Dean banished the thought; Cas had promised he would.

"Hello? Earth to Dean? Is anybody in there?" Sam snapped his fingers in front of his brother's face and Dean startled before glaring irritably at his brother.

"What?"

Sam put on a patient tone as if talking to a toddler.

"You are obviously distracted or worried about something. As your brother, I recommend you tell me to see if it's anything I can help with."

Dean's wings flicked in annoyance.

"You can't help with this, so keep your nose out."

Sam threw his hands up. 

"For the love of- Dean! What is your problem? I finally get a chance to see my brother alone and you're behaving like someone stole your favourite toy! Man up! Stop acting like a child!"

Dean growled, his already limited patience expired.

"You know what? Fine!" He hissed through clenched teeth and he leaned forwards so no one could eavesdrop.

"Cas is over in demon territory for a week with no guarantee that he'll return. If he does return, I don't know what state he'll be in; whether he'll be perfectly healthy or clinging to the last few dregs of life. 

"That in itself wouldn't bother me too much, afterall we see death all the time, but unfortunately, I seem to have gone and fallen for the guy in our time here and I know what you're going to say: _'But Dean, he's an angel!'_ Yeah, Sam, I got that, thanks. I know how incredibly bad this is and how others are going to treat us, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't stop these stupid feelings from developing. Which would have been tolerable on their own, but it seems as though Cas also has a dirty little secret and _hey, what do you know?_ We're sleeping together. Happy?"

Sam's jaw was hanging open and Dean couldn't help one last dig.

"Think you can fix all that?"

The younger Winchester blinked and then he blinked once more as if he didn't believe that he was awake.

"You're sleeping with _Castiel Collins?_ " Sam asked slowly as if testing the words on his tongue.

"Didn't I just say that?" Dean huffed, stomach clenching in anticipation of the disapproval he was bound to get.

"Huh, we were right."

Dean balked. "What do you mean _'we were right'_?"

Sam shrugged. "Gabriel and I had our suspicions." At Dean's raised eyebrows Sam snorted. "Oh, come on! It's not as if you hid it very well. The last time we visited I thought you were going to jump each other there and then!"

Dean spluttered. _"What?!"_

Sam huffed out a laugh. "Don't act so surprised. It's not far from the truth anyway, is it?"

Dean's wings were twitching so violently that some of the other patrons had turned to stare curiously (and a few, disgustedly) at the demon pair.

"You- you-!" Dean stammered, his wings hitching higher and higher as his thoughts raced, wondering if anyone else had noticed his and Cas' relationship. What if Lucifer, Michael and Raphael had noticed? Would Cas be shunned by his family? Would Dean be trialled for taking advantage of an already broken-hearted angel? Would Lucifer come after him in his sleep?

"Dude, relax," chuckled Sam. "I doubt anyone else knows, but if you carry on the way you are, the whole city will find out!"

Dean had to restrain himself from throwing his fork at Sam's face. How could he relax?! His brother had been betting with an archangel on whether or not he would get it on with Cas! 

...What if they found out how their relationship originally started? Dean paled. What if the archangels thought Dean was just using Cas like he had at the very start? He was so dead.

"Dean? You look like you're about to hyperventilate. Deep breaths, in, out. You okay?"

Dean wasn't listening to Sam anymore. His mind was too caught up with thoughts of whether anyone got the wrong impression of him and Cas' relationship. Not only would he be locked away by four furious archangels and possibly tortured by Naomi, but what would happen to Cas if they thought he had made the same mistake twice? 

"If it makes you feel any better, Gabriel and I have been dating for the past couple of months."

Dean's brain came to a screeching halt and he slowly turned to stare at his brother.

"...How could that possibly make me feel any better?"

Dean's wings stiffened in anger. How dare Gabriel take advantage of his baby brother! Who did that archangel think he was?

"Stop it, Dean. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. We're not using each other and he's certainly not doing anything I didn't give him permission to do. In fact, he's been taking me out to dinner for quite a while now. It's kinda sweet."

Dean growled lowly and a few of the cafe's customers jumped slightly, whilst others looked ready to defend themselves if necessary.

"What were you thinking, letting an archangel take advantage of you? You're trained to defend yourself better than that!"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Apparently I was thinking along the same lines as you when you went and fell for Cas."

Dean flushed and ducked his head. He didn't think about that.

Suddenly Sam sighed and he looked at his interlocked fingers.

"Dean, I don't know what to tell you. I really love him. I mean, I haven't felt this way since Jess. It's not even lust, because we haven't actually done anything yet."

Dean's eyes widened and not only at the fact that Sam hadn't actually had sex with the archangel; this must be a big thing for Sam if he was comparing Gabe to Jess. He knew how much Sam had cared for her, going so far as to consider bonding with her; he was that certain that she was _'The One'_. To compare Gabriel on the same lines...

Dean huffed. "What's wrong with us? We must have some contagious form of Stockholm syndrome or something." It was said as a joke, but Dean knew it would reassure Sam that he would support whatever his brother chose to do and the younger demon smiled gratefully at him.

"Never thought we'd both be courting angels," mused Sam as he swirled his drink.

Dean shrugged. "Never thought we'd even like them."

"Life has a funny way of working out, doesn't it?"

Dean hummed in agreement, before the smile slowly fell from his face as he remembered why they had been sent to angel land in the first place. Sam seemed to be thinking along the same lines because he was staring forlornly into his coffee mug.

It was a strange feeling, really. It was like somebody had squeezed all his innards out and he was left feeling empty and numb. His grace shrunk in his chest and it felt like his heart had slowed right down, to the point where if it slowed any more, he'd probably keel over. Time seemed to stop and the noises around him were muffled as though he were under water.

His mission here was to act as an amnesty seeker until an opportunity presented itself where he and Sam could sneak into the archives and pull out every record, every journal, anything that would incriminate the four archangels and their highest operatives. It would crumble angelic society and would make it very dangerous for the highest ranks to even leave their base for fear of the uprising led by their own people. When their society was so vulnerable and in such turmoil, the demons would swoop in and eradicate them, putting an end to the war once and for all.

But how could Sam and Dean possibly instigate all of this when they'd fallen for the exact people they were supposed to crush?

Then again, if they didn't go through with it, they would be branded as traitors and would be executed were they to step foot in demon territory again. Not to mention that these so-called angels killed both of their parents, Bobby's wife and Ellen's husband. How could they forget about Bobby; the man who practically raised them as his own sons even when dad was alive? How could they betray the man who always had time for them when their own father didn't? How could they fail Ellen, their only mother figure, or her daughter Jo; a little sister to them? How could they choose these angels over the only family they had left? And what of the friends these angels had slaughtered and the ones that had been left with nothing? Should the Winchester brothers dismiss all of these people just because of the two angels they'd fallen in love with?

Dean refused to mention any of this and banished the thoughts from his mind. There was too much at stake if they didn't go through with their mission and too much to be lost if they did. Either way, they'd lose.

Sam had gone eerily quiet and Dean didn't think he was going to bring it up either.

The next twenty minutes passed in silence, each brother desperately trying not to think of the consequences of what they chose in the next few months, before Sam eventually started a light conversation about their respective jobs in this place they were suddenly terrified to call home.

Conversation moved to their actual home and then eventually to their remaining family and friends and Dean actually found himself chuckling about that time a three year old Sam filled uncle Bobby's car with Skittles and how even now, some still rolled around in the footwells.

When they left the cafe and flew home to their respective accommodations, each had pushed their previous problems to the far corners of their minds and resolutely never thought about the matter again.

When Cas came home at the end of the week, exhausted and frustrated at getting no further with the case, any dark thoughts clouding Dean's mind were completely forgotten and Cas found himself with a lap full of affectionate and, to Cas' amusement, mother-hen-like demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've broken the regular pattern of Cas' POV, Gabriel's, Dean's then Sam's because Sam's next segment was so long I thought it deserved its own chapter.
> 
> How're you guys liking it so far?
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

Another month passed and Sam found himself staring into a mirror, wearing a suit and wondering why his bow tie kept having one side bigger than the other. Then he'd wonder why he was putting a bow tie on in the first place and then his thoughts would ultimately circle back around to 'why do I let Gabriel get me into these things?'

Gabriel burst through the door with a bright grin and Sam suddenly remembered why he could never say no to the archangel.

"C'mon, Sambo, we're gonna be late!"

"Remind me again, why are you going to your ex's wedding and then explain why you have to drag me along as well?"

"I was invited and you're handsome."

"So you're using me to get back at your ex in some childish _'haha you didn't win'_ moment?"

"Pretty much."

"Oh yeah, I remember now. Thanks."

"No problem." Gabe stepped forwards to fix Sam's tie and then leaned on his tip toes to press a sweet kiss to the demon's lips.

"Did I ever tell you how awesome you are?" Murmured Gabriel and Sam huffed a laugh.

"Your porny groans when you eat my cookies say it all."

Gabe beamed and Sam felt his heart melt. Then he was being dragged though the front door by an excited archangel.

Not wanting to ruin their neatly groomed wings, Gabe opened the passenger side of an old Mustang and bowed extravagantly as Sam rolled his eyes and climbed in.

The angel bounced to the driver's seat, whistling an upbeat tune as he pulled out of the drive and onto the road.

When they arrived at the Cathedral ( _"Kali loves to show off"_ ), Sam couldn't help but smile. Gabriel's enthusiasm was contagious and the thought that they were going to actually turn up at the archangel's ex-wife's wedding, when the invitation had obviously been sent out of mocking, was becoming an appealing thought to Sam; this woman had hurt Gabriel all those years ago and still she felt a need to rub it in his face that she felt perfectly okay with being disloyal to him. 

Well, two could play at that game.

Sam would happily dote on Gabriel throughout this party just to prove that this vile woman hadn't won and Gabriel was very much better off for it. Sam found that he was rather looking forward to this party all of a sudden.

He slipped an arm around Gabriel's waist and the archangel glanced up to him, a smile slowly spreading across his face when Sam winked at him and pecked him on the cheek.

The two walked into the hall along with the other guests and took their seats, Gabriel wriggling into Sam's side until he was comfortable. Sam grinned and held the archangel tighter.

A few angels glanced at Sam, sneers on their faces, but Gabriel made them turn around in embarrassment when he pointedly wrapped a wing around Sam's shoulders.

Gabriel was still a highly ranked, well-trained archangel and no one with two brain cells to rub together would think of disrespecting him. Sam was pretty proud of his boyfriend.

That word was growing on him.

The ceremony started, Odin looking smug in his tuxedo as his soon-to-be wife strolled down the aisle wearing the largest, most bejewelled dress Sam had ever seen.

She spotted Gabriel and an ugly smirk crept across her face, so Sam quickly leaned down to nuzzle the archangel's neck and Kali's smile vanished as she held her head high and stiff.

Gabriel grinned and leaned further into Sam, entwining their hands together and Sam's wings fluttered slightly.

The rest of the ceremony passed without incident and the guests were soon ushered into their cars and told to go straight to the after party venue - a large, picturesque golf club situated in the rolling hills.

On the way, Gabriel filled Sam in on the recent news on his ex, about how she had, with the stolen money from Gabriel, made it as a highly successful fashion designer and how Odin had, by uncertain and probably not entirely legal means, somehow inherited one of the largest business corporations in the city. 

This meant that Kali and Odin were now one of the wealthiest couples in the entirety of angel territory, which by default, also made them one of the most powerful couples outside of angel defences.

Sam suddenly felt a little nervous. This had the potential to not work out very well for him should he upset the couple too much, afterall, he was an outsider to the angels; he had fewer rights than their homeless.

Gabriel, on the other hand, didn't seem concerned in the slightest. That may have had something to do with the fact that he was an archangel and when they parked at the venue he turned to Sam.

"Don't look so worried, kiddo. Nothing's gonna happen; I won't let it. Just relax, you'll be fine."

And Sam did relax, because if Gabriel said that he wasn't going to let anything happen to Sam, then the demon fully believed him. Gabriel had never let him down so far.

Gabe grinned. "That's better. Come on. Free food can never be a bad thing."

Sam rolled his eyes and followed the archangel into the main room, their fingers interlocked.

Gabriel made a pleased sound as he spotted someone he obviously knew and led Sam into a booth.

There was a young blonde woman sitting alone, scribbling something into a notebook and she startled when Gabriel sat down opposite her, before her face lit up and her cream wings bobbed excitedly.

"Becky!" Gabe grinned and the girl leaned over the table and hugged the archangel tightly.

Sam was a little surprised at the familiarity, but at the same time, Gabriel was known for being overly friendly where his brothers weren't.

Becky's gaze switched to Sam and she was just about to introduce herself when she caught sight of the chocolate wings and her smile disappeared, replaced by a look of nervousness.

Gabriel snorted. "Don't worry about Sam. He's as soft as a teddy bear, aren't you, Sammy?"

Sam pulled a face and Becky's eyes widened as she backed up into the corner of the booth. Sam rushed to correct his mistake.

"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to... um... I'm not hostile or anything... I'm just... uh..."

"He's also a great conversationalist," said Gabriel dryly and Sam's wings drooped comically behind him.

Becky glanced between Gabe's unimpressed face and Sam's constipated one and she slowly moved out of the corner and offered her hand.

"Becky."

Sam glanced at the peace offering and then to her face before gingerly shaking the outstretched hand.

"Sam."

Gabriel raised an amused eyebrow before focusing his attention back on Becky.

"He's an amnesty seeker. Little bit of a dork." Sam glared at him but Gabriel waved him off.

"So, how've you been? I've not seen you in weeks!"

And just like that, Gabriel reassured Becky and they chatted for over twenty minutes before Becky turned to Sam and, as if they had been friends all their lives, asked what his hobbies were.

Sam realised why Gabriel was so highly ranked and respected.

Throughout the next half an hour, Becky's glances turned less and less nervous and more and more flirtatious and once, she even blatantly checked Sam out.

Sam wasn't sure what to think. Gabriel did though and as soon as he caught her doing it, he wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulders, face warm and friendly but eyes glinting with challenge.

"How's the search for _Mr. Perfect_ going, Becks?" 

Becky realised her error and took her eyes off Sam sheepishly.

"Not too well, actually. Most people think I'm either too energetic or too weird."

Sam frowned. "That's a little harsh. You seem like a sweet girl."

Becky's head snapped up and she smiled dreamily as the demon.

"You're too kind, Sam." 

Gabriel rolled his eyes and slid his arm off Sam's shoulders and Becky eventually came back to reality.

"So... are you seeing anyone at the moment, Gabriel?"

Gabriel's mood suddenly changed back into his default and he grinned brightly.

"Yeah, surprisingly I am. Sammykins here is proving to be quite the attentive boyfriend."

Sam bit back a laugh when Becky's face fell momentarily before perking back up.

"Congratulations! I hope it works out for you both."

"Aww, thank you, Becky!"

Gabriel glanced to his watch. "Woah, I guess I lost track of time a little. We better go and congratulate the bride before it's too late. Nice seeing you again, Becky."

The smaller angel nodded with a flick of her wing and when they vacated the booth, Sam glanced back to her, only for her to wink at him and scribble furiously in her notepad. 

Sam quickly turned back around and noticed Gabriel snickering quietly beside him.

"What?"

"You just had to go and flirt with her."

Sam's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "I didn't... I never flirted with her! She was flirting with me! Gabe, I wouldn't do that to you! I couldn't-"

"Woah! Hold it, Sambo. I know you didn't intentionally flirt with her, but not many people are kind to Becky. She hasn't got that many friends, although when you work as a secretary to Kali, you don't really have time for friends."

Sam scowled. "That's awful. Why would anyone want to mistreat her?"

"That book she was writing in?"

"Yeah?"

"Fanfiction and pure porn."

" _...What?_ "

Gabriel choked back a laugh.

"She reads these books, illegally mind you, about two demon brothers called Jared and Jensen who fight off supernatural creatures like vampires and werewolves and these weird wingless creatures called humans. The reason I say illegal is because the author is actually a demon and you know the rules about importing goods from either side of the border. Well anyway, she writes her own stories about these two brothers and some of them are a little less than savoury."

Sam took a few moments to absorb all this.

"What's the name of the author?"

"Uh... Edlund... Carver Edlund... I think. Why?"

Sam grinned. "That's Chuck's alias."

"Who?"

"Chuck Shurley. Bit of an introvert. Nerdy. Least offensive guy I know."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.

"Did you really have to be so curt with her?" Asked Sam with a disapproving glance at the smaller man.

Gabriel pouted. "She was eyeing you up and you didn't do anything about it."

"I didn't see a need to. It's not like she was going to jump me in a room full of people."

"You obviously don't know Becky."

"...Oh."

The pair trotted to the bar to order drinks and Sam pulled his wings in tight when the barman took one look at him and scowled. Gabriel frowned and draped a golden wing across Sam's shoulders, smiling lazily at the barman when his eyebrows rocketed upwards. He quickly turned away to get their order.

"I'm surprised at you, Gabriel," drawled a voice from behind them and Sam glanced over his shoulder to find the bride sneering at them both.

Gabriel took his time in thanking the barman for the drinks and handing one to Sam before he finally turned around and plastered on a cheery smile.

"Kali! We were about to go hunting for you. Congratulations! Fantastic party by the way. Thanks for the invite."

Kali's smile was forced and her tone biting when she replied.

"You are _very_ welcome." She glanced to Sam, not bothering to hide her disgust at his dark wings.

"Who's your friend?"

Gabriel grinned and Sam's heart warmed at the sincerity in the expression.

"May I introduce you to Sam Winchester? The kindest, most beautiful creature I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Sam knew it was a dig at his ex, but the fact that Gabriel had just called him _'beautiful'_ made him feel a little light-headed.

Kali's smirk faded into a look of repulsion as she glared at Gabriel.

"I'm going to be honest, Gabriel. I didn't think you'd have the guts to actually show up here. Quite frankly, I'm shocked."

Gabriel's grin turned sly. "Well, I do love to surprise."

"Hmmm." She glanced once more at Sam. "Well you've certainly surprised us all in choosing him." She turned her disapproving gaze upon Gabriel, as if scolding a naughty child.

"Honestly, Gabriel, what are you thinking? Are you really that willing to lose what little respect you have amongst the people, all to get back at a woman you had a bit of a fling with all those years ago? I mean, setting yourself up with a demon? Isn't that a little degrading? To yourself, of course."

Sam was suddenly very uncomfortable as the people nearest them began to quieten in order to watch the confrontation. Sam glanced pleadingly at the archangel, hoping to convey how much he thought they should just leave whilst they could. 

Gabriel wasn't looking however. His gaze was hard and cold and his wings were held stiff and tense.

" _'A bit of a fling'?_ Is that all you thought we were?" Hissed Gabriel and Sam hadn't seen this side of the archangel since the first few weeks of his arrival, where Gabriel hadn't trusted him one iota.

"Don't make a scene, Gabriel. That was a very long time ago," dismissed Kali and then Sam was furious because Gabriel looked and sounded so hurt and now the last thing he wanted to do was leave the room without Kali receiving her comeuppance. 

"Yes, it was. A very long time ago when I came downstairs to find my _loving wife_ moaning beneath another man!"

Kali's eyes turned fiery as a few more people quietened to watch the proceedings.

"You know we would never have lasted! I was bored with you! You were always working, you were never home! When you were, you were so childish! Everything was a joke to you!"

"Never have lasted?! _We were married!_ "

"Which was another mistake!"

"Then why marry me?!"

Kali snapped her mouth shut, unwilling to reveal the reason she had chosen to go through with the ceremony, but Gabriel already knew.

"You could've just asked for the money. I would've helped you both out. That's what friends do." It was said quietly, so no one around them could hear, but Sam heard it loud and clear and his wings twitched in sympathy.

Kali was staring at Gabriel in disbelief, as if she wasn't quite sure what to do with that information.

Gabriel sighed sadly and his wings hitched back into a formal position as he stepped closer to Sam.

"And another thing: I didn't 'set myself up' with Sam. I happen to really like him. So no, I don't think it's the least bit degrading. In fact, I'm honoured that he chose to come with me today and I'm still shocked that he's willing to attempt a relationship between us." He smiled self-depreciatingly. "After all, I'm so childish. Why would he take anything I do seriously?"

Sam had to stop his wings from flapping violently. Nobody had the right to make Gabriel sound so bitter. Where was the fun-loving archangel he knew and loved?

"People can lose respect for me if they want to, but wasn't it my work that tore us apart in the first place? You said I was never home; no, I admit I wasn't at home as much as I should've been. I was doing my job in protecting the land from another devastating attack. But yeah, you're right, I worked too much."

Gabriel's gaze trailed to the floor for a moment, lost in painful memories, whilst Kali stood motionless, jaw slightly slack and pale yellow wings held high.

The room was quiet now and those who had been whispering cruel words about Gabriel and how he should be ashamed at confronting the bride on her wedding day with a demon by his side, no less, were silent, heads bowed slightly in embarrassment. 

Feeling he had to preserve his wife's image, Odin stormed towards the trio with his wings flared wide, intent on ripping into Gabriel's self-esteem the same way his wife had, when Gabriel gently grabbed Sam's hand, wings sagging fractionally, but head up (he was still a commanding archangel) and led him to the door.

"I hope this marriage turns out better than ours," murmured Gabriel and there was no sneering, no harsh tone, just an honest apology which stopped Odin in his tracks.

"Congratulations to both of you. I mean it," he finished with a small smile that reminded Sam of Michael and they stepped out of the building and walked silently to the car.

After twenty minutes of driving, the silence came to an end as Sam made a decision. 

"Pull over."

Gabriel startled and looked around at the empty road, the dusky light giving the surrounding fields and trees a warm orange hue.

"There's nothing here. Just trees and grass. Why do you want me to pull over?"

"There's a bit of a cut out up ahead, pull in there."

Gabriel frowned but did as asked, turning off the engine when the tires were firmly planted in the dust, just off the road.

"Okay, Sam. We're parked. What is it you wanted?"

"Get out of the car."

"What?"

Sam opened his door and walked around the back of the Mustang and Gabriel, his confusion growing with every passing second, unbuckled his seat belt and left the car.

"Alright, Sam. What's-?"

Sam pinned Gabriel to the side of the car and smashed their mouths together.

Gabriel's eyes widened for a second before he melted against the demon and his arms wound instinctually around Sam's shoulders. Sam growled, dominating their kiss before he pulled back, hands buried deep into Gabriel's wings, and leaned close to the archangel's ear.

"You're not childish. Get it out of your head that you are."

"At the moment, there's only one thing running through my mind, kiddo."

Sam growled again and nipped at Gabriel's jaw and the angel whimpered quietly, his hands clutching desperately at Sam's shoulders.

"Anyone who loses respect for you because of her is an idiot and I have half a mind to go back there and single them out one by one until I change their minds."

"I'm really not bothered by-"

Sam rolled his hips against Gabriel's roughly and the angel let out a ragged groan.

"I am. They have no right to say those things about you. If anyone dares say anything about you one more time, I'll make sure they never speak ever again."

"That sounds rather violent."

Gabriel moaned breathlessly when a finger plunged into his oil gland as his hips were pinned against the car door.

"I _am_ a demon." Sam claimed Gabriel's mouth again and when they parted, Gabriel's eyes were glowing brightly, his breathing rushed and shallowed.

Sam's eyes slid to black. "Don't ever let me catch you sounding self-depreciating again. If you do, I'll drag you by your wings onto the next available flat surface, horizontal _or_ vertical, and I'll make sure you can't walk straight for the next week." He ground his hips against Gabriel's for emphasis and the archangel pressed his face into Sam's neck with a whine.

"Sam..."

"One more thing." Sam grabbed Gabriel's face with one hand and forced him to look at him. "You told me, not too long ago, not to be intimidated by the fact an archangel wants to be with me. Then don't you be intimidated by the fact that I want to be with you. I will never be like Kali, okay? I'm not going to leave you with a broken heart, so don't ever think I will. You are so much better than you give yourself credit for. Just because one evil woman decides you're not good enough, doesn't mean you actually aren't. You're amazing, Gabriel and I can't believe how lucky I am to have you."

Gabriel's eyes were wide with awe and Sam closed the gap between them with so much tenderness, that Gabriel was having difficulty trying to adjust to the change in pace.

Sam chuckled as the archangel's eager hands slid to the shirt ties around his wings and the kiss turned into something more heated as Sam plunged his fingers back into the gland.

The archangel let his head fall backwards with a moan.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you get all possessive?"

Sam grinned and made quick work of Gabriel's shirt and jacket. 

"Somehow, I guessed that."

Gabriel groaned again when Sam rocked their hips together.

"Tease."

"You love it."

Sam's jacket was thrown to the floor along with his shirt and he manoeuvred Gabe until he was lying on his back on the car bonnet.

The evening was warm and dry and the road rarely used, so Sam had no problem in taking Gabriel where he was, his wings glinting reds and oranges from the setting sun. Sam took a moment to admire the gorgeous archangel and Gabriel's wings fanned out for him, his eyes soft and loving as he gazed back at Sam.

"You just gonna stand there, pretty boy, or are you going to do something about the archangel spread out for you?"

Sam grinned and began to mouth at Gabriel's chest as he unbuckled his belt and slid Gabe's trousers off his legs along with his shoes and socks.

The car creaked in protest and Gabriel chuckled at the ridiculousness of the pair of them and began to do the same for Sam.

"I feel kinda naughty doing this here, out in the open where everyone can see."

Sam pressed a kiss to Gabriel's neck as he straddled the archangel.

"If anything goes wrong, just blame the savage demon," he suggested and Gabriel snorted.

"At least we won't be interrupted out here."

"I don't know, a wild moose could come out of the forest and attack us."

"I'm already being attacked by a wild moose." Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows and Sam shook his head in amusement. 

They pressed their lips together once more before Gabe murmured:

"I want you to mark me tonight. I want your oil in my wings."

Sam's breath hitched and his wings slapped the bonnet, causing the alarm to blare loudly at them.

Gabriel laughed brightly and Sam's grace flared, though his face had flushed pink. He hopped off the angel and fished for the keys to shut off the alarm, before once again covering Gabe's body with his own.

"I stand corrected. Maybe we can be interrupted," chuckled Gabriel even as his hands moved to Sam's bare hips.

Sam nuzzled the angel's throat.

"Wasn't expecting you to say that. Threw me off guard."

Gabe hummed in pleasure. "Well, I want you to. We've waited for this for too long."

Sam rolled his hips against Gabriel's and the angel sighed quietly, his eyes falling shut.

Sam continued to pepper kisses along Gabriel's throat and the angel wrapped his legs around the back of Sam's.

"Only if you promise to mark me," whispered Sam a moment later, when he'd got to grips with the idea that the archangel Gabriel Novak had actually asked to be marked by a demon.

Gabriel smiled lazily. "Are you negotiating with me, Sam?"

Sam kissed the smile. "Maybe."

Gabe relaxed further into the demon's hold. "That sounds doable."

Sam grinned and covered Gabriel's wings with his own.

"You may have to get the ball rolling," muttered Sam innocently and Gabriel cracked an eye open.

Without a word he slipped a finger into one of Sam's oil glands and smirked at the speed at which the oil surfaced.

Sam cupped Gabriel's cheek and took his mouth once more as his large wings covered Gabe's thinner, lighter ones. Gabriel practically purred when he felt cool oil seep into his wings and he tangled a hand in the demon's long hair.

Sam made sure his scent completely coated Gabriel's wings and turned the archangel over onto his hands and knees to do the same with the backs of each wing. He shoved his hand into the wing and ruffled the feathers as he worked the oil deep into them, taking great pleasure in the moans and whimpers coming from the archangel beneath him. That may have had something to do with the fact that the lower halves of their bodies weren't exactly being idle though.

After a while, Sam found himself underneath the archangel, being subject to whatever Gabriel thought was fair punishment for the 'torture' Sam had put him through and when they finally made their way back to the driver and passenger seat, fully clothed and wings smelling of each other, they both burst into laughter at finding the passenger air bag inflated.

Sam hopped into the back seat with a contented smile, finding the slight dip in the bonnet rather amusing.

When they arrived home, the moon in full bloom, Gabriel led Sam into his bedroom and they both curled around each other, each whispering a fond _"I love you"_ before drifting off to sleep, warm and happy in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Sam and Gabe deserve their own chapter after all that waiting, don't you think? Hope you enjoyed this fluffy scene. Next chapters have plot in them :)


	13. Chapter 13

Cas yawned and stretched his wings, grinning when he found he couldn't move one because Dean was using it as a pillow.

The demon snuggled into Cas' side, wrapping a wing around the angel protectively and Cas stroked Dean's hair, remembering the _activities_ they'd been up to the previous night.

Dean's eyes fluttered open and he smiled sleepily at the fingers playing with his hair.

"Mmm...mornin'," he hummed as his thumb rubbed circles over Cas' bare stomach.

Cas chuckled and pressed a kiss to the demon's head.

"Good morning, Dean."

"Your wings are so soft."

"Yes and yours are very heavy." Cas picked up the wing curled around him and shoved it in Dean's face, sprinting out of bed and into the bathroom before Dean had a chance to blink.

"Hey! Don't use all the hot water!"

Cas laughed. "Come in with me then!"

By the time Cas had turned the shower on, Dean was wrapping his arms around the angel's waist and burying his face into his neck from behind.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Cas grinned and led them both into the shower, his wings sliding around Dean's body as they pulled the curtain closed behind them.

When they left the shower later on, the water long since cold, Cas threw his clothes on and began to make them both lunch, smiling when Dean kissed his cheek sloppily and slapped his rear as he poured their drinks.

"I love weekends," commented Dean as he handed a cup to his lover and peeked over his shoulder into the pan.

"Ooooh, omelettes."

Cas' wings fluttered happily when Dean began to trail kisses down the back of his neck.

"You're very affectionate today."

"What? I'm not allowed to love you anymore? My own lover doesn't want me."

Cas rolled his eyes. "Don't twist my words. I never said I wasn't enjoying it."

Dean placed his hands on Cas' hips and rested his chin on his shoulder as the angel turned back to the hob. 

"You said Michael's coming back today?"

"Him and Lucifer. Yes."

"Is it about the rogue?" Cas could hear the frown and his grace warmed when the grip on his hips tightened.

"Most probably. However, it won't be about returning to the border, so you don't need to get all worked up again."

Dean ducked his head, his wings drooping in embarrassment. 

"Sorry. He kept asking you to go back and I was worried that you wouldn't come home and every time you came home, he'd ask you to leave again the next week and-"

"I know, Dean, but I'm here now," chuckled Cas, trying to calm Dean's flustered babbling. 

It had been almost two months since the eldest archangel had asked Cas to stake out at the border and with no results in sight and the risks growing with every passing day, Michael had been forced to abort the mission a mere seven weeks later.

Cas placed the omelettes onto two plates and handed one to Dean as they sat down to eat.

"They pulled the mission just under a week ago. Michael informed me at our meeting yesterday."

Dean glanced up and Cas couldn't fight back the grin as the demon's wings fluttered excitedly.

"Really?" Dean asked, going for nonchalant but sounding more hopeful than anything else.

"Yes. So I'm staying here until the next mission." 

Dean's face brightened and Cas smirked into his lunch. 

When they had finished and cleared their plates, Cas wandered into the living area to file away the papers he'd left on the coffee table the previous night when Dean had ambushed him. His return from the border had obviously excited the demon more than he'd anticipated. Not that Cas was complaining.

It seemed as though Dean was still not completely reassured that he wasn't going back to the border though, because as soon as Cas had filed the papers away, the demon pushed him onto the couch and claimed his mouth hungrily.

Cas wasn't inclined to dissuade him.

"Dean... I'm not going anywhere." Cas murmured against the demon's lips.

"Good," muttered Dean as one hand moved to cup the back of the angel's neck.

Cas laughed quietly when Dean pulled him onto his lap, his other hand threading into white feathers. Cas arched into the touch and clutched at the demon's shoulders, pushing their chests together.

Cas mewled when Dean's tongue slipped into his mouth and their tongues danced with each other for a few seconds before the kiss turned lazy and Dean mouthed softly at Cas' bottom lip.

Dean relaxed into the couch and Cas made himself more comfortable on the demon's lap as they made out leisurely, thoroughly unconcerned about time.

_**"Castiel!"** _

The two pulled apart at the shout and whirled their heads around to face Michael and Lucifer, who were standing wide-eyed and jaws slack in the doorway.

Castiel's wings dropped flat against his back and Dean froze, one hand still buried deep into Cas' feathers and the other motionless in the angel's hair.

The men stared at each other for a long moment before Michael narrowed his eyes at Dean and the demon glanced between the furious archangel and Cas a few times before whipping his hands away from his lover as fast as he could and plastering himself against the back of the couch, too terrified to even breathe.

Castiel slowly pulled his hands away from Dean and climbed off him, his thoughts racing, trying to come up with an excuse for what his brothers had just witnessed.

"Castiel," Michael said again and this time it was low and measured as if he was keeping his temper in check, but only barely.

"Michael," replied Castiel quietly, his head bowed slightly and wings pulled tight to his back.

"Explain yourself."

Cas flinched. He'd never had Michael's anger directed at him before and he felt ashamed at the disappointment he had enticed from the angel who had taken him in and treated him as family.

"I'm sorry," he said and then felt guilty at realising that he wasn't a bit sorry for what he'd done with Dean.

Dean seemed to sag and Cas felt terrible for making it look like he regretted his time with the demon. He corrected himself.

"Actually, no I'm not." Michael raised an eyebrow as Lucifer tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. However, Dean's slight uplifting of his wings was what gave Cas the courage to continue.

"I know what this looks like and I know what you're thinking; at first, I thought it too, but this is... different from last time. Dean's not... he's nothing like Alistair."

Michael frowned. "That may be, but the fact that this demon is still not fully cleared as a citizen-"

"I know. But with all due respect, Sir, Dean has helped, to the best of his ability, with every situation we've thrown at him and he's given us as much information as you've asked him for, sometimes even more. I don't think it's fair that we should treat him as a prisoner."

An odd look crossed Michael's face then and Cas swore that Lucifer had smirked for a second.

"I will excuse your interruption this once, considering the circumstances." Michael glanced pointedly at Cas and his head bowed in embarrassment until Michael continued.

"However, I'm inclined to ask how Dean is treating you now that we've established there is definitely a relationship between you both."

Cas frowned in confusion. Since when was that the protocol? Shouldn't he and Dean have been taken in for questioning?

"Uh, Sir...?"

Lucifer looked like he was biting back a laugh, but Michael's face was as unreadable as ever, his wings held high and formal.

"Answer the question, Castiel. Do you believe that Dean is treating you acceptably?"

Cas blinked. "I... uh... yes. He's... he's treating me better than I could have hoped for."

"Could you give me an example of how this demon has behaved towards you during the past month?"

Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut and Cas would've thought this all a joke except Michael was expecting a sincere answer.

"Um... alright... the first week I came home from the border, Dean wouldn't stop doting on me. He prepared every meal, completed all the laundry and all the cleaning and every time I attempted to help, he'd literally pick me up and place me on the couch and force me to stay there until he was finished." He'd done other things to Castiel, but he was trying to keep his explanations PG.

Michael looked thoughtful for a moment before turning sharply to Dean.

"What are your intentions with this angel?"

Dean looked panicked for a second, before his expression hardened.

"If you're trying to liken me to that jerk who Cas- "

"Answer the question, Dean."

Dean growled quietly and the smirk was wiped from Lucifer's face. Cas worried that he would have to deal with an altercation when Dean stood up, but the demon merely raised his wings in warning.

"What did it look like my intentions were?"

Michael's wings were fanned slightly in preparation for an attack.

"At first they looked fairly innocent. Was I wrong?"

"I wouldn't do that to Cas. I'd never hurt him like that... _like him_ ," hissed Dean and Cas' grace swelled with joy.

Michael's wings relaxed slightly and the smile made its way back onto Lucifer's face.

"How can we be sure that this isn't another trick? How do I know that you're not manipulating this young angel?" 

"Because I love him," huffed Dean before realising his own words, thereby missing Lucifer and Michael's shared glance. "I'm not tricking you. I could never hurt Cas. I'm not sure how to prove it to you other than if you ask Cas or give me time to show you that I'm not _'manipulating'_ him." Dean pulled a face. "And Cas isn't as young and naive as you think. He can hold his own."

"And yours, apparently," muttered Lucifer and Michael shot him a glare, ruined by the fact that the corners of his mouth were quirking upwards.

He smoothed his expression down into something more neutral as he addressed Castiel.

"I can't say I approve of your choice, Castiel. Affiliating yourself with a demon can be a dangerous situation."

Cas' wings lowered and his gaze dropped to the floor. From the corner of his eye, he saw Dean's feathers puffing out in offence, clearly angry with Michael for not only referring to him as 'demon', as if he was just a scenario to be dealt with, but also for upsetting Castiel. Cas couldn't say that he was too pleased with Michael and Lucifer interfering with their relationship, either.

However, Michael wasn't finished and his gaze snapped to Dean.

"Dare hurt my brother, emotionally or physically, and you will suffer a fate worse than death. Lucifer had a lot of ideas that didn't get used on Alistair, I'm sure he would love to try them out on you should you harm him." Michael gestured to Castiel and Dean paused as he took in Lucifer's smirking visage and Michael's twitching wings.

"Why do I get the feeling that you've already found out about my brother's and Gabriel's relationship?"

Lucifer cackled and stepped further into the room, slinging an arm around his older brother, whose face was beginning to break into a smile.

Castiel glanced between them all. What was happening? How could Dean just out Gabe and Sam like that? Sure, he'd had his suspicions, which were then confirmed by Dean's own admittance a couple of months ago, but hadn't they agreed not to let anyone in on the fact that they knew? Not even Gabriel and especially not the two highest Archangels.

"He's certainly sharp," grinned Lucifer as Michael relaxed completely and Dean's eyebrow climbed higher.

"I have to agree with you. Although our little brother is looking more and more confused by the second."

Cas blinked. "What's going on?"

Lucifer chuckled again and dropped gracelessly onto the armchair. 

"Sam and Gabriel have been involved for quite some time now and we happened to find out about it. I must admit, finding out about yours was a lot more interesting, though." He waggled his eyebrows in a manner similar to Gabriel and Dean rolled his eyes before gesturing for Cas to join him on the couch.

Michael watched the exchange with a barely-there smile, which bloomed into a full smile when Cas sat down beside Dean and was immediately dragged into the demon's lap, a pair of arms wrapping around his waist, most probably to prove a point.

Lucifer mimed vomiting but Castiel felt more at ease in Dean's hold, more secure. 

He realised he'd never truly felt like that with Alistair, not with such a simple touch.

He leaned into Dean.

"It seems that our guests have had a great impact upon their hosts and whilst I do trust you both, I must warn you of the risks of being tied to these men, just as I did with Gabriel." Michael's voice had turned serious and Lucifer's gaze was no longer playful. Cas lifted his head to show he was listening even as Dean's grip tightened imperceptibly.

"I am fully aware that you already know, but I must remind you that Dean is a demon; a race that we have been at war with for centuries. Whilst your family may not act upon this, others will, including demon forces." He glanced to Dean, whose face had turned defiant. Cas wondered whether it was defiance at Michael or for those who would try to punish them for their relationship.

"Not only is there an issue of race, but there is also the problem that you are one of the highest ranking agents we have, Castiel. There will be many secrets you will have to keep from Dean, even if he were an angel. There will also be times when you will be sent on missions and you will be apart for months at a time. On occasion, you may be forced to make decisions that your partner will not agree with and it will test your loyalty, not only to each other, but to us as well. It will be difficult to pursue this relationship and there will be many people who will try their hardest to rip you apart. You will be ignored, abused and belittled by the public if word gets out."

Castiel found that he would prefer to put up with all of this than lose Dean. He hoped Dean wanted this as much as he did.

"I don't particularly care what people say about me. However, I don't want Cas to lose respect because I'm here." Dean glanced at Cas, but there was an almost regretful look in his eyes.

Cas pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"I lost most of my respect a long time ago. What's a few people more?"

Dean frowned, clearly unhappy with that answer, but Cas spoke before Dean had a chance to open his mouth.

"Dean, I love you. You think I care what a few people will say about me? I've had every insult under the sun when they found out I was with Alistair; even more when we found out he was using me. I know people are going to lose their trust in me, but it won't stop me from doing my job to protect them and it certainly won't make me stop loving you." Suddenly, he grinned. "I'm a big boy, I can handle a few insults."

Dean blinked in wonder before he crushed their lips together, completely forgetting about their two visitors.

Lucifer cleared his thought loudly, a smirk on his face.

"Well that was touching. It felt like I was watching a rendition of Romeo and Juliet." He leaned forwards. "However, we did actually have a purpose in coming here."

Cas slid off Dean embarrassedly and even Dean's wings twitched slightly.

Both archangels glanced to Dean.

"You've been with us for well over a year now and you have proved true to your word about wanting to be an amnesty seeker," said Michael. "We want to thank you for your honesty."

Lucifer grinned. "You're free, Winchester." He produced a tiny key and tossed it to the demon. "For the ankle bracelet."

"You are a true citizen of our city, Dean. You no longer have to report back to Castiel during the evenings," Michael continued. "You may do whatever you wish from now on. Buy a house, open a bank account, choose whatever path in life you may, you no longer have to prove yourself to us."

Dean looked stunned, so Cas nudged his shoulder with a smile and he gently took the key and leaned down to Dean's ankle.

"May I?"

Dean nodded mutely and Cas unclasped the shock-device attached to his leg. He pulled out the remote from the back of an unused draw and handed them back to Michael, feeling a weight he didn't know existed being lifted off his shoulders.

"Before you get too excited," drawled Lucifer, amused at the lack of reaction from Dean, "we wanted to ask you something."

Dean turned dumbly to Michael, his mind still processing what was going on.

"You have proved very useful to us, Dean. Both you and your brother have helped us with the information you have provided us. You were also the best in your field when you were with the demons. We were hoping that you could help us on a more regular basis. Consequently it would mean you will get to see more of Castiel if you take us up on our offer."

Dean raised an interested eyebrow so Lucifer continued.

"We would like you to quit your job at the mechanic's and come and work for us instead. For obvious reasons, you won't be able to start a the top, but we have a feeling you would work your way up the ranks very quickly. You won't have to start at the very bottom, though, so you'll have an advantage."

Dean's eyebrows hit his hairline. 

"I'm flattered, but why would you consider me over the agents you've already got?"

"Experience," replied Michael. "With experience comes wisdom. You'll be able to help the younger agents around you and give them guidance where they need it. It will be tough to gain their trust, but I'm sure you'll manage. You also know a lot more about demon defences than we ever could. You know how to work around them and we could really use someone with your skills on our side." Michael hesitated, as though rethinking his request. "However, I fully understand if you are unwilling to join. This is a big ask and we wouldn't like for you to feel pressured into taking it."

Dean glanced to Cas and the angel tried to look as reassuring as possible, even though his heart was hammering in his chest and his grace flaring wildly at the prospect of Dean willingly choosing to help them because he wanted to, not because he was demanded to.

"Whatever you want to do, I'll support it."

Dean grinned brightly and turned to the waiting archangels.

"Where do I sign up?"

 

* * *

 

Gabe watched as Sam sparred with one of their newest cadets. It had been almost three months since the two demons had been accepted into their ranks and Gabriel couldn't have been prouder of how far the demons had come during their eighteen months with the angels.

It had been difficult trying to integrate the pair into their agency as many operatives had taken to immediately hating them due to their race. 

The archangels had quickly cracked down on that, giving plenty of long lectures about discrimination and equality for amnesty seekers. Although it stopped many angels from openly showing their disgust in front of their superiors, it didn't stop them from speaking in hushed whispers about the Winchesters; some of the braver ones even speaking cruel words to the demon's faces when the higher ups weren't around.

Dean and Sam never rebuffed them, though it was obvious that the sheer amount of insults they were receiving was beginning to wear them down. Yet, they never complained to their lovers (something which Gabriel wasn't all that happy about) and continued with the tasks they'd been elicited to carry out, i.e. training the new recruits and giving in-depth detail about how to elude demon defences.

Gabriel couldn't help a satisfied smirk when the young angel Sam had been sparring with ( _Constantine_ , if his memory served him correctly); one noted for blatant racism against the Winchesters, was pinned and made to yield by the tall demon. 

Sam pulled him back to his feet and offered his hand by way of truce, but the young angel sneered at him and held his wings high and proud, before turning his back on him and marching off to his stony faced peers. 

Gabriel felt his own wings raise in anger. How dare this youth disrespect the demons that were trying so hard to help them! He was about to join the lesson when a familiar face arrived on the scene and sauntered over to the misbehaving youth. 

Balthazar gestured for Constantine to follow and posed, ready to fight. Sam and Dean looked at each other silently before giving him some room. The cream-winged angel and his student fought for a mere fifty seconds before Balthazar had him on the floor, eyes wide and shocked.

Gabriel flew down to the training hall to listen to what was being said.

The Winchesters looked mildly surprised as Balthazar hauled the other angel non-too-gently to his feet.

"They were going easy on you to help you to learn. Since you think you know it all and your teachers are too lowly for you to associate with, I thought I'd test your ability. As you can see, if you were in a real fight with someone who had the intent to kill you, you would be dead in under a minute. Remember this the next time you have the privilege of working with two of the most highly skilled agents you will ever meet." Balthazar nodded to Sam and Dean, who bowed their heads respectfully, before winking at the stunned student.

"As you were," he said as he spotted Gabriel lounging in the corner of the room, a smirk on his face.

He joined his superior.

"I'm impressed, Balthy. Never thought I'd see you sticking up for a couple of demons."

Balthazar laughed quietly. "I could say the same to you, sir." He glanced to the Winchesters, who had resumed their lesson.

"Besides, they're not that bad. They have helped us a great deal these past months."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, quickly picking up on the underlying meaning.

"Never thought you the sentimental type."

Balthazar smiled softly. "Castiel is a good, loyal friend. I may not have believed it at first, but Dean has made him happier than I can remember him being in a long time. I'm glad for it, Cas deserves someone like that."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you and Dean-o hated each other."

Balthazar shrugged. "We're not friends, but he's earned my respect."

Gabriel glanced to the demons and caught Dean sneaking a peek at the cream-winged angel, wings tilted in curiosity, before his attention was back on his students.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you just earned his."

Balthazar cocked an eyebrow and glanced to the brothers, watching as Dean sparred with another student and praised her for when she counteracted one of his attacks.

Balthazar tilted his head slightly before startling at Gabriel's hand on his shoulder.

"That was a nice thing you did for them, Balth. The young ones could learn a lot from you." He paused. "I'm glad little brother has someone like you to rely on."

It was as good a dismissal as he was going to get, and Balthazar smiled genuinely before taking off.

Gabriel checked his watch and, shaking his head at how the demons had gone over their expected time once again, cleared his throat and stepped further into the room.

All movement stopped and the cadets stood to attention, faces slightly nervous at seeing one of the archangels in their session. Sam and Dean smiled in acknowledgement, wings lowered as Gabriel spoke.

"Alright, kids. I think you've been worked hard enough today, hopefully you have all learned something during your lesson." He couldn't resist staring pointedly at Constantine. "You are dismissed."

The cadets sprinted out of the hall, eager to leave the presence of their superior after the subtle warning they'd earned.

Dean and Sam relaxed as Gabriel grinned at them.

"You know, you don't have to keep going above and beyond what is expected of you." He tapped his watch for emphasis.

"We said we'd help, so we are," shrugged Dean as if he wasn't receiving around a dozen insults a day.

Gabriel's gaze softened. "You can tell myself or any of my brothers if anyone is being particularly difficult. You understand that, right?"

"We're okay, Gabe, really," said Sam as his brother nodded in agreement. "It's to be expected."

Gabriel frowned. That wasn't right.

"Doesn't mean you have to put up with it."

An odd look crossed Dean's face. "Today we didn't."

Gabriel smirked. "Surprised, Dean-o?"

The demon ducked his head. "Actually, I am." 

Gabe chuckled. "Balth acts tough, but in reality he's a bit of a sap once you get to know him. Protective of his friends, though."

Dean flushed. "I'm beginning to realise that maybe I made a bit of a mistake with my first assumption."

Gabe grinned toothily. "I think you may have."

Sam's gaze flitted between the two before it finally clicked and he rolled his eyes with a groan.

"Please tell me you didn't think he was _competition?_ "

Dean smiled sheepishly.

"Don't you remember any of his record? He's Cas' lifelong friend! Like the only one to stay with him through the whole Alistair incident before Gabriel and his brothers showed up. You didn't think they were dating, did you?"

"...Once or twice..."

"You're such an idiot."

Gabe cackled at Sam's expression before sobering and informing the brothers that their shift had ended and they could leave.

Dean almost ran from the room, unwilling to stay under his brother's judging gaze any longer, leaving Sam and Gabriel alone in the training hall.

Checking that no one was watching, Sam paced towards Gabriel and wrapped his arms around him, burying his nose into Gabe's neck.

Gabriel relaxed into the embrace and quickly returned it, stroking Sam's wings as he did so.

"I love being able to see you like this," whispered Sam as he nuzzled the angel's neck and Gabe's wings fluttered happily.

"I just wish people would stop picking on you," murmured Gabriel, grace shrinking bitterly.

Sam huffed. "Can't say we don't deserve it."

Gabriel pulled away to stare at his lover. 

"You shouldn't say things like that."

Sam dropped his gaze. "We've done a lot of things we're not proud of."

Gabriel grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him.

"And now look where you are. Look what you're doing. You're helping, Sam. You're helping us to lower our death count and you're teaching the young ones how to better defend themselves. You've done so much for us, not just military-wise, but personally as well. You may have done things that you're not proud of, but so have I, so have my brothers. You've done a lot of things that you should be proud of, too."

Sam searched Gabriel's eyes for a minute before diving for his mouth and Gabriel wrapped his wings around the demon.

"You shouldn't be so quick to belittle yourself, Sam."

The demon held Gabriel for a little longer before reluctantly pulling back and not for the first time, Gabe felt his grace try to chase Sam's.

"How about I take you out tonight? There's a lovely restaurant that's opened up just by the park. Sound good?"

Sam smiled warmly before nodding and pressing a gentle kiss to his lover's lips.

"I love you, Gabe, more than anything."

Gabe's grace swelled.

"I love you, too, kiddo." His expression turned playful. "Now get out of here before I develop a cavity from all the sweetness." He squeezed Sam's rear and the demon slapped him over the head with a wing, before taking off towards the house.

 

* * *

 

"I've got to admit, Cassie, this case has really got me stumped."

Cas sighed quietly. "I know. Whoever is doing this is covering their tracks well."

He scrubbed a hand down his weary face and Balthazar looked on in sympathy.

"We will find him."

"When? We've been at this for months and we're no closer to finding out who's giving away all our secrets! These demon attacks are getting more and more frequent, not to mention targeted. There's no way anyone outside of HQ could've known about the presidential meeting last week, much less in the short space of time that it was organised. It has to be someone at the top."

Dean chose that moment to walk in as he handed a coffee to Balthazar and a tea to Cas, keeping a coffee for himself.

"You tried questioning the people in your regiment?" Asked Dean as he sat beside his lover and Cas shook his head.

"We've all been questioned by the archangels. Every agent who could have the slightest chance of knowing potentially classified information has been interrogated and the results have turned up negative."

"The archs are tearing their feathers out over this. None of the top agents have even a motive for wanting to leak info to the other side," added Balthazar with a grimace.

Dean frowned, a thought occurring to him. "Then maybe he's not an agent."

Cas and Balthazar blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe this guy isn't a field agent. Maybe he's a secretary. Y'know, someone who overhears important information every day but never really gets noticed."

"But how would he sneak over to the border if he's not an active agent?" Balthazar asked, his brain already whirling with the possibilities.

Dean shrugged. "Maybe he just never gets noticed. I mean, who questions a guy who does paperwork every day of his life?"

Cas turned to his friend.

"That would make sense. We have a few book keepers and secretaries, not to mention those who work in the Archives. It would be logical to question them as well."

Balthazar nodded and grinned at Dean.

"Looks like you just opened up a whole new branch to this investigation. Thanks."

Dean offered a small smile. "Glad to be of use."

Cas' wings fluttered proudly and Dean felt his grace respond. Gabriel had told Cas how Balth had stood up for the Winchesters three weeks ago and since then, Dean had been making an effort to befriend the other angel. Cas had been surprised when Balthazar had begun forging a truce with Dean and the hostility lessened whenever they were together.

It wasn't exactly an apology from either side, but Dean had a feeling that would never happen (mostly because they were both too stubborn and prideful to attempt it). Still, Balthazar was Cas' best friend and Dean would do anything he could to make Cas happy. 

He was so whipped.

Balthazar stood gracefully and stretched, wings flexing.

"Well, no time like the present. I'll go and advise our bosses of the plan. See what they think." He bowed extravagantly, causing Cas to roll his eyes and Dean to smirk before he took his leave.

"Any suspicions?" Dean asked when the door had clicked shut and Cas pulled a face.

"Not sure. You're right; nobody ever really takes notice of the pencil pushers."

Dean smiled and wrapped his arms around his lover from behind, quickly pulling him to his chest.

"You'll find him."

Cas snuggled into the warm embrace.

"I hope so. I've never seen my brothers so stressed."

"I know what you mean," sighed Dean. Cas' brothers had been twitchy for about a month now and they had been looking exhausted for much longer. Even Gabriel didn't seem quite as chipper as he once was, however Dean had a feeling that if Sam hadn't been there, he would have been a lot worse.

In all honesty, Dean kew that Cas couldn't say he was feeling completely confident. This information leak had been going on for quite a while and every new attack was more damaging than the last. There hadn't been this many attacks in such a short space of time for decades and Cas was getting anxious. People's lives were at stake; they needed to find this spy and fast.

Dean glanced at his lover and noticed the dark expression over his face. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his hair.

"I can practically hear the cogs turning," muttered Dean and Cas ducked his head slightly in embarrassment. Dean chuckled and tugged him further into his lap.

"Don't keep worrying yourself over it, darlin'. He may be good, but he's not as good as you and your brothers."

Cas shifted until he could bury his face into Dean's chest. It was safe to say that he had thoroughly changed his opinion on Dean calling him _'darling'_. The demon loved tossing the term into the odd sentence just to see Cas' reaction. It made Dean laugh to see him get all shy and try to brush the endearment off as if it didn't affect him and that only made Cas blush harder. He knew the angel still remembered how Alistair had used it, but Dean was going to make Cas link the word with an entirely different meaning than the betrayal of his ex-lover.

He carded a hand through Cas' raven tufts, his other wrapped securely around his waist.

They cuddled like that for a few minutes, Dean pressing kisses to Cas' head every so often and Cas caressing Dean's chest with a stray hand.

Cas looked a lot calmer when Dean gently pushed him up to start preparing dinner.

"C'mon, darlin'. Lets try to have dinner at a reasonable time for once, now that we have the chance."

Cas grinned and started for the kitchen, delighted when Dean pulled him to his hip and they both sauntered into the kitchen together with Dean's hand deep in Cas' back pocket.

 

* * *

 

"Looks like your brother has some brains after all."

Sam glanced up from his book. "You sure we're talking about my brother?"

Gabriel chuckled and scratched Riot behind the ears when the dog bounded up to him, tail wagging and chew toy dangling limply from his mouth.

"He's given us something to think about."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"We're holding an investigation into all the people who are behind the scenes at the base. Dean has suggested that maybe this rogue is right under our noses."

Sam quickly cottoned on to his brother's line of thought and he couldn't help but be proud of his big brother for helping the angels when they were in such desperate need of it.

"He thinks that one of the book keepers are leaking info?"

Gabriel grinned and Sam's wings fluffed up slightly at the fact that his lover was impressed by his quick thinking.

Gabe noticed the movement and his grin widened as he came to sit next to his demon. Sam wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer, nuzzling at his soft hair.

"You have any ideas yet?"

Sam could feel the shift in mood as Gabriel's shoulders lowered slightly and he held his lover tighter, trying to ward off the disappointment he could feel radiating from his angel.

"Whoever's doing this is keeping a tight lip. It's got to be one of the secretaries on the top floor or one of the archive crew. There isn't anyone else who could be privy to that kind of information."

Sam wanted to help his lover and the other archangels. The longer this case kept going unsolved, the more stressed he could feel them becoming. He'd tried his best to keep Gabriel distracted but his heart ached whenever the archangels visited, each time their wings drooping just a little lower and their eyes losing that shine bit by bit. 

This rogue was straining the archangels to their limit and Sam knew (by Dean's own admittance) that the agents directly below them were showing signs of fatigue. They had to catch this rogue. If too much information was leaked, politicians were at risk, civilians lives were at stake. The wrong information at the demons' leaders' hands could crumble angelic civilisation. They'd be treated as prisoners and forced to bend to the will of the highest demonic powers. 

Sam shivered at that thought. A lot of demons wouldn't care about angels as a people. They'd abuse them repeatedly, torture them for their own pleasure, maybe even kill them just because they'd won the war and what was worse was Sam knew that the so-called demonic equality rights groups would turn a blind eye because they'd been at war with the angels for so long. 

They'd never be able to see that these angels were just like them; people with families and jobs and bills to pay. They'd see them as target practice or slaves and the highest of them would be treated the worst.

Sam scowled and pulled Gabriel into his lap, kissing him deeply.

The angel looked dazed for a second before he stared at Sam, confusion evident on his face.

"What was that for?"

Sam rubbed their noses together.

"I just really love you."

Gabe rolled his eyes fondly and Sam cleared his mind and focused on the task at hand.

"Why don't you give me some names and bios and we can maybe narrow this list down a bit?"

Gabriel nodded without hesitation and led Sam to the dining table as he retrieved a pen and notepad.

"Starting from the top, there's Michael's assistant, Gadreel. Quiet guy. Focused. He's privy to pretty much every letter, fax, e-mail and text that goes in and out of Michael's office."

"What's his record like?"

"Clean as a whistle. Never steps out of line, always polite and respectful."

"Home life?"

"No partner, but he has got a few long-term friends that he has always been loyal to."

"Do he and Michael get on?"

"As far as I can tell, he's the perfect assistant."

"Strike him off the list. Next?"

"Lucifer's assistant, Uriel. Determined but stubborn. Privy to the same things as Michael's assistant only he reads Lucifer's stuff."

"Record?"

"Had a bit of a disagreement a few years back with Cas. It's been sorted now though and it wasn't all that big of a thing."

"What was it about?"

"Cas' involvement with a demon. Nothing happened though. No altercations or anything."

"Still, he has a history with demons. He's in a perfect position to leak secrets and not be investigated because he put up a fuss about Cas having an affair with a demon. He could be a suspect. Who's next?"

They carried on like this for three hours, questioning each other at every turn to make sure the list they were compiling was as accurate as possible. In the end, Gabriel had a short list of eight names.

"You say Metatron's an Archive worker?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Head of the Archives?"

Gabriel nodded.

"So he has the history and records of every event, every person that has ever lived on this side of the border?"

"And some on the other side as well."

"Does he get transcripts of the letters that you and your brothers send and receive?"

"Well, yeah... but only for purposes of evidence should we ever have to prove anything."

"Does he get the transcripts of every little detail you send and receive?"

"...Yeah..." Sam could see Gabriel's mind working overtime as he put the puzzle pieces together.

"You said he works in the basement, where the Archives are?"

"...We wouldn't notice if he slipped out."

"What hours does he work?"

"He's head of the Archives. He's the last one out and the first one in."

"Would it be possible for him to send and receive information without you ever noticing?"

"...It would."

"Is it possible to bypass your computer terminals and send information straight to the Archives?"

"It is."

"Would that process be relayed to your computers?"

"No."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Does he have a motive?"

Gabriel's face paled. "We suspected he may have been slightly unstable, but he was good with books so we stuck him down there. He always believed that we were out to get him and he has been heard many times stating how he should be in charge because of his vast reading repertoire. 

"He thinks that books equate to knowledge and wisdom and that being a good commander doesn't mean that you are making the correct decisions. He thinks this war should be solved verbally rather than with soldiers, which is a nice thought but has proved impossible on many occasions." Gabriel gulped. "If he is trying to negotiate with the demons without informing us, we don't know what secrets are being handed away and how they are being used."

Sam stood and grabbed Gabriel's arm, hauling him to his feet.

"He may not be our rogue, but it wouldn't hurt to tell your brothers our thoughts. Come on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! Plot!
> 
> Hope you're enjoying this so far. It took me a while to upload this mammoth of a chapter so tell me what you think! Improvements welcome!


	14. Chapter 14

When Cas exited the private interrogation room, the one reserved for highly dangerous criminals, Dean stopped his nervous pacing and glanced up at him worriedly.

"How did it go?"

Michael closed the door behind himself and his wings raised in acknowledgement of Dean and Sam, who respectfully raised them back.

"He confessed."

The Winchesters stared at Michael wide eyed.

"What?"

Lucifer shrugged, as if he couldn't quite believe it either.

"He confessed the whole thing. He is the rogue and he has sent information to Crowley and Abaddon."

Gabriel and Raphael joined them from the recording suite beside the interrogation room and Dean and Sam's hearts sank as they took in their troubled expressions.

"What did he give?" Asked Sam, not sure if he wanted the answer.

Cas sighed. "A lot. He handed over copies of every transcript of every letter we've ever received or sent. He's given away records of certain events and even some members of government. He admitted that he was about to give away personal histories of each of the archangels before we caught him."

Dean frowned. "Why would he confess all that so easily?"

Michael shook his head. "That's what we're concerned about."

"You think he's already given them what they need?" Sam guessed and Michael nodded solemnly.

Cas watched as both Sam and Dean's wings twitched in frustration and he caught Lucifer's slight upturn of lips as he noticed them too.

"We have to thank you. We never would have found him without your help," said Michael suddenly, a small smile on his face and the other archangels bowed their wings in gratitude.

Sam and Dean blinked at each other, their wings fluttering embarrassedly behind them, not knowing how to respond to the show of appreciation and the angels grinned at their uncharacteristic behaviour.

"Um...You're welcome... but you're the ones he confessed to," mumbled Sam as he scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck.

"And as we've already said, if it weren't for you, we would still be as clueless as we were six months ago," smiled Michael, his wings fluttering slightly in amusement.

Dean and Sam still looked uncomfortable and were about to argue when Lucifer cut in with a snort.

"Just take the compliment."

The Winchesters flushed red, their wings flapping violently behind them in mortification.

"Right, sorry," muttered Sam and Cas let a wide smile creep across his face when Dean mumbled something incoherent.

His lover was adorable when he was embarrassed.

Michael observed his brothers silently as Gabriel and Castiel gazed at their demons with fond expressions and it was clear to him then, that they loved their black-eyed counterparts deeply. He thought about the stress that had been thrown on them all during the past few months and he reasoned that his own weariness must have passed onto his brothers as well. 

"Gabriel, Castiel." He smiled at how quickly their attention directed back onto him. "Take Sam and Dean home and get some rest. You all deserve it. If I need your assistance, I'll call you, but I'm almost certain Metatron will not be too tricky to handle from now on."

Gabriel and Cas smiled gratefully at him and bowed their wings and heads respectively, before gently guiding their lovers from the room.

When they were out of sight, Michael turned to his remaining brothers.

"The same goes for you. You are under no obligation to stay. You both must be tired."

Lucifer immediately shook his head.

"Don't pretend you're immune to stress, brother. Allow me to help you, then we can both go home."

Michael allowed a grateful smile to creep onto his face and Lucifer's wings twitched in amusement. They both turned to Raphael, who was gazing at his brothers fondly.

"I thought you didn't do sentiment, Lucifer?"

Lucifer ducked his head in embarrassment. "Shut up."

Raphael chuckled quietly before facing Michael.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to have another listen to those tapes before we archive them."

Michael nodded. "If it pleases you."

Raphael thanked him and returned to the recording booth.

"Alright, Mikey. Lets go deal with this idiot and then we can finally say _'hello'_ to our beds."

With a grin, Michael shook his head at his brother and the pair disappeared into the interrogation room.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel relaxed into Sam's gentle hands. The grooming was a welcome relief after all the stress over the past few months. Gabriel's feathers had thinned quite noticeably (although Sam still thought they were the most magnificent wings he'd ever seen) and it felt good to have someone take care of them now that they had time.

Sam combed his fingers through one wing and Gabriel practically purred as he felt the feathers shift back into place.

He heard Sam holding back laughter from behind him and then the demon was peppering kisses over the wing as he softly tugged at the golden feathers.

Gabriel moaned and went boneless in Sam's grip and the demon did laugh that time, moving the focus of his kisses to Gabriel's neck.

Gabriel closed his eyes as Sam's hand wandered to the inside of his wing, combing and tugging at the feathers there as well and Gabriel let out a sigh of relief as his aching wings got some attention.

"You have magic fingers," groaned Gabriel and Sam nuzzled his jaw.

"Hate seeing you in pain," he murmured and Gabriel leaned the sides of their heads together.

"'S not painful, just an ache really."

"I can feel where you've lost feathers."

"Told you I had."

"You're still beautiful."

Gabriel smiled tenderly at that. Sam was very good at boosting his ego (whether or not that was a good thing, he wasn't sure) and he adored it when Sam got so affectionate like he was now. He'd never had someone dote on him so much and Sam had been true to his word when he'd said that he would never be anything like Kali.

Like Dean, Sam hadn't thought of anywhere to stay after he'd been granted citizenship and Gabriel had quickly assured him that he could stay where he was until something caught his eye. Up to now, Sam hadn't seen anything and Gabriel, in all honesty, hoped that it would stay that way. He liked coming home to the demon reading or cooking or playing with Riot and he liked being able to cuddle up to him on an evening and watch a movie. He liked that feeling of warmth when, after a long session of having Sam's gorgeous body move almost rhythmically against his, the demon would roll off him and wrap an arm and his wings around him and they would drift off into a peaceful sleep together.

To be honest, Gabriel had assumed that now they were together, Sam would live with him anyway (after all, if this worked out, wouldn't there be a point where Gabriel would have to ask his lover to move in with him?), so there was no real point in him finding another residency, was there?

Gabriel was snapped out of his musings when something cool and wet trickled through his feathers.

When the scent drifted to his nose, his grace leapt for joy and his wings quivered in arousal.

Sam snickered. "I see you're back."

"Sorry," mumbled Gabriel. "Too busy daydreaming."

"About?"

"You."

"That's alright then."

Sam smothered some more of his oil over Gabriel's wing, digging deep between each feather and making sure the sensitive flesh beneath the feathers was coated in the liquid, before moving to the next part of the wing.

Gabriel could almost feel the ache in his wings fading as Sam massaged the oil into them. He could also feel his libido kicking in at the thought that Sam was claiming him so intimately even though they weren't mates, or even married.

After a while, Sam moved onto the next wing, giving it the same treatment. The oil would encourage his feathers to grow back and with the care that Sam was putting in to ensure that the entirety of his wing was covered, Gabriel had no doubt that every single one he had lost would reappear soon enough.

"I seem to have a bit of an obsession with touching you," commented Sam and Gabriel snorted.

"Whatever gave you that impression?"

As Sam moved to the top of the wing, he made sure to _'accidentally'_ brush Gabriel's oil gland.

The archangel growled.

"Keep doing that and I'll have to punish you."

Sam smirked and innocently proceeded with the inside of the wing. As he went to collect more of his own oil, his hand grazed the oil gland and Gabriel had an internal struggle on whether to let Sam continue the attention his wings so desperately needed, or to turn around and push Sam's back to the couch.

He waited until Sam had pretty much finished, closing his eyes every time his glands were 'caught' by the demon's large hands, then he pounced on his lover, smashing their lips together and wasted no time in ridding the demon of his clothes.

Sam quickly did the same for him and soon, they were writhing against each other, finally ridding their systems of all the stress the rogue had put them through.

" _Mine_ ," growled Sam quietly as his hands, still a little slick from the oil, landed protectively on Gabriel's back and hip. He felt his grace aim for Sam's, but by now, they were pretty adept at holding them back and Gabriel mouthed at Sam's throat, allowing a feeling of security and safety to settle within him.

Sam would never hurt him, just as he would never hurt Sam. The demon was so protective of him and Gabriel welcomed the alien feeling of knowing someone was looking out for him for a change, when his job description was to look after everybody else.

He could let his carefully guarded walls down with Sam and he knew that the demon did the same with him. They could trust each other without wondering if they were putting anyone (or themselves) at risk and Gabriel hadn't realised how much he'd needed someone like that until Sam had come into his life.

When they finished, breathing heavily and eyes still not back to their original colours, Sam wrapped his arms around his lover as Gabe lay on his chest. 

"I love you, Sam. You mean so much to me."

Sam tightened his grip around his angel.

"I love you, too, Gabe." He pressed his lips to the angel's head. "I can't imagine life without you."

Gabe relaxed and closed his eyes, knowing he was wanted and needed in Sam's arms.

He smiled when his grace settled as close to Sam's as it could get without bonding and he felt Sam smirk into his hair as the demon's hand stroked at his bare hip.

He could get used to this.

 

* * *

 

"Well done, Daniel. Try to keep your wings tucked in in ground combat; the bigger the target, the more likely you are of getting shot at," praised Dean as the cadet dodged another one of his attacks. The angel smiled briefly and bowed his head slightly at the encouragement. 

Sam waited for the cadet to join the rest of the class standing patiently outside the training area before continuing their lesson.

"The trick to fighting demons is to tire them out first. If you can, that is." He lifted one wing for the class to see. "Demons have much thicker wings and stiffer feathers to defend ourselves, which means that a direct attack on us isn't as effective as if we were to attack you. You guys are built for speed. Use it to your advantage."

Dean explained. "Our heavier wings means we tire out in flight much quicker than you. In ground combat, if you can get a demon to keep swinging their wings around because you keep dodging their attacks, they'll tire quickly and hopefully, you won't have a scratch on you."

The cadets listened with rapt attention, their wings high and formal as they absorbed the words of their teachers. The Winchesters couldn't help but grin at the stark differences between when they'd first started teaching combat techniques and now. Originally, their students had despised them for being demons, belittling them and insulting them non-stop, but now, with two years of living with angels behind them, the Winchesters had earned their students' respect and admiration and they would take every word to heart now that they knew just how good the Winchesters had been in their heyday.

A few students had even been caught expressing how excited they were to be in the Winchesters' training sessions rather than somebody else's.

The archangels had found that amusing.

"Alright," Sam clapped his hands. "Lets see how good you guys are at tiring a demon out. Rachel, you're up first with Inias."

The two angels stepped forwards, taking a battle stance when the doors to the hall opened to reveal Balthazar. He nodded respectfully to Dean and Sam before taking a position in the corner of the room to observe.

Rachel and Inias glanced uneasily at each other, wondering why such a high ranking agent had decided to drop in on their session.

Sam smiled reassuringly.

"Ignore him. Pretend he isn't there," he whispered and the two angels nodded and took up their stances once more.

Balthazar stayed silent throughout the whole lesson, watching as each angel was praised, corrected, or demonstrated to how to carry out their task by the demons. At the end of the session, when all the students had left, Balthazar whistled low in appreciation.

"Impressive. I wouldn't mind sparring with either of you myself."

Dean chuckled. "We wouldn't mind the practice."

"I'll keep that in mind," smirked Balth as he made his way over.

Sam cocked his head to one side. "Is there something on your mind?"

Balthazar shook his head in amusement. "Actually, I was sent down to make sure you two get home on time for once. The archs are worried you're overexerting yourself. I came in early because I was curious."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Like what you see?"

"I'm certainly not complaining," he winked and Dean, far too used to Balthazar's playful flirting by now raised two suggestive eyebrows and Balthazar snorted.

Sam rolled his eyes at their antics and the irony of Dean and Balthazar originally hating each other because of said flirtiness wasn't lost on the older Winchester.

"I'm sure you two could talk Cas into a threesome, but can I leave now? I'm not really interested in hearing about either of your sexual adventures."

Dean's wings flapped violently in embarrassment at Sam's bluntness as Balthazar cackled.

"Teasing's one thing, but I think Dean really would rip my wings off if I tried to make a move on poor Cassie," snickered Balthazar and Dean's feathers ruffled even further as a gentle pink began to colour his cheeks.

Sam shook his head at Dean. "You're so whipped."

Right, because Gabriel didn't have Sam wrapped around his little finger.

The younger Winchester smiled at Balthazar. 

"I'll see you later," he said before leaving the hall in search of Gabriel.

"I think it's best you go too. I have a feeling Cas is getting off a little earlier than usual today. An offer of walking him home wouldn't go amiss," said Balthazar and Dean stared at him for a few moments.

"Is your shift done?"

Balth looked surprised at the question, but nodded anyway.

"Well then, you can come back with us. You've not got any plans tonight, have you?"

Balth shook his head with a small grin.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were going soft on me, Winchester."

Dean shrugged. "It beats a friday night on your own. Besides, you're Cas' friend," he hesitated, "and you have given me a lot of advice these past few months. I owe you for helping me to make him happy."

Balthazar's face softened and he bowed his head slightly as a show of respect.

Dean snorted. "Don't do that. Not to me."

Balthazar's wings twitched in amusement and he followed Dean out of the hall to find a certain white-winged angel.

Cas looked surprised when both Balth and Dean showed up at his door and he raised an eyebrow.

"Are we having a party?"

Dean glanced to the cream-winged angel beside him. 

"I invited him 'round tonight. Thought he sounded lonely. That okay?"

Cas' eyebrows crawled upwards before a smirk crept across his face and he glanced between the two knowingly.

"Sure."

They headed out, Cas quickly packing up his things and just before they took off, Dean was pecked on the cheek by his lover.

Dean offered him an amused smile.

"What was that for?"

Cas' gaze was warm and tender as he looked at Dean.

"Thank you."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Cas nodded towards Balthazar, who was just getting ready for flight.

"For making an effort."

Dean smiled, wings fluttering slightly as he followed his lover into the courtyard and leapt into the air.

When they arrived at Cas' apartment, Dean collected the mail from the floor and put them on the table beside their bed for later reading.

Most post for him wasn't urgent anyway. It was usually just about banks and insurances advertising for him to go with them now that he was a fully certified citizen. They could wait.

He joined Cas and Balthazar in the living room and quickly got immersed in an argument about if 'Titanic' was a good film or not. 

The cream-winged angel stayed for dinner and by the time midnight rolled around, the three were beginning to get sleepy.

Balthazar stood and stretched his wings, a smile on his face as he noticed how Cas and Dean had slowly edged towards one another throughout the evening and were now practically clinging to each other.

"Well, it has been a lovely evening. Thank you for inviting me," said Balthazar softly and both Dean and Cas stood up as well.

"Anytime," replied Dean and Cas tried to cover up a yawn.

"Don't be a stranger."

Balthazar chuckled. "I'll let you both get to bed. Thank you, again."

Dean waved vaguely at him as Cas said _"Goodnight"_ and Balthazar took his leave, pale wings illuminated by the moonlight.

Dean wrapped an arm around Cas and the angel smiled sleepily at him before snuggling back into his shoulder.

Dean shook his head in amusement. 

"Alright, alright. Lets get you to bed."

Cas hummed in agreement and they leaned on each other (more out of wanting to be close than to actually support each other) as they wandered off into the bedroom.

After getting undressed, they slipped into bed and Dean huffed out a laugh when Cas sprawled over him, wings fanned loosely over his shoulders and arms and the angel grinned and cuddled closer when Dean curled his own wings around him.

"Love you," whispered Cas as he closed his eyes and Dean's grace warmed.

"Love you too, darlin'."

Cas shifted so that Dean wasn't practically being smothered by him and they slid their wings over each other once more as Dean tugged his angel tight to his side.

Dean watched his lover as he drifted off, gently stroking messy raven hair and he smiled tenderly as the angel's breathing evened out.

Not for the first time, Dean mused how lucky he was to have Castiel by his side. His eyes roamed over Cas' face, taking in every detail from the slightly chapped lips to how innocent and youthful he looked when he was sleeping.

He felt his grace stir as it tried to get closer to Cas' and he grinned.

That was quite a recent development and at first he had been unsure if maybe they should take the pace of their relationship down a notch. It didn't take him too long to figure out that actually, he liked it when his grace reached for Cas' and he quickly found himself getting distracted by wedding advertisements and shops that encouraged bonding ceremonies.

Still, it was a little too early for those ideas to be taken into serious consideration and he contented himself with the knowledge that he'd get to spend time learning more about Cas' wants and needs, what he liked and what he didn't.

Dean smiled to himself as his thoughts wandered through the past two years and how their relationship had grown. He idly picked up the stack of letters from the table beside him and kept one arm around Cas as he flicked through them.

Most were addressed to Castiel, but there were a few that named him as recipient.

Two were advertisements from banks eager for him to invest with them, but the third letter was handwritten with the words **'Private and Confidential'** stamped on its envelope.

Dean shrugged and opened the envelope one-handed, with the other still curled protectively around his angel.

The letter was extremely short but it still made Dean's blood turn to ice and his throat dried as a wave of nausea hit him.

His muscles tensed as he re-read the only three words (barring the sender's and recipient's names) contained within the letter. 

He felt bile rise up his throat as he glanced over the beautifully penned name at the bottom of the note and his hands began to shake when the weight of the situation hit him at full force.

He scrunched his eyes shut, furiously trying to hold tears back as he tightened his grip around the peacefully sleeping Castiel.

He calmed his breathing down after a few moments, desperately hoping he hadn't woken his lover and he shoved the letter back in its envelope and jammed it into the back of a drawer. He curled around Castiel, wings twitching in distress as he pressed his nose into the angel's hair and finally let his tears fall into those soft raven tufts he loved so much.

He sobbed silently. No sleep came to him that night.

 

* * *

 

"Now that you've caught Metatron, what are your plans?" Sam relaxed into the couch, Gabriel by his side as they gently brushed their wings together.

Lucifer shrugged and slumped into his seat gracelessly as Michael interlaced his fingers on his lap.

"Taking into consideration the events of this month, I suppose we should be on the lookout for anything suspicious regarding demon plans to attack the state. We're not entirely sure what kind of information was given away. We have an idea, but it depends on how the demonic government will react to the information it now possesses."

Raphael nodded. "We don't want to cause panic within our public, but we'll have to have agents and security teams on high alert from now on to make sure nothing untoward happens to the population."

Sam let the corners of his mouth turn down unhappily. "So what you're saying is none of you can have a rest and that this thing is far from over?"

Lucifer sighed dramatically. "Afraid so, Sammy."

Sam glared half-heartedly at the archangel, but his wings drooped in disappointment. The archangels didn't deserve all this stress. They had done nothing but protect and take care of their people and their reward was to have to be put on full defence for the next few months? It could even be years. For all they knew, the demons could be planning a full-scale attack on the angels' largest cities and they would be vastly underprepared for something so hostile.

Sam frowned, deep in thought before he was snapped back to reality by Gabriel's gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Don't think about it too much, Sam." His voice was soft and tender as if touched that his lover was trying to think of ways to help him and his brothers. 

As if he wouldn't help the people he might as well call his family.

"You've done so much to help us already. Don't stress yourself by trying to solve this problem. We're not even sure they will attack; there's no use in worrying over _'could have'_ s'."

Sam's expression fell into something more sympathetic. It would be foolish to believe that the demon forces wouldn't use the information they'd gained to their advantage and the angels knew it. Still, if they needed reassurance after everything that had happened, then who was Sam to deny them that right?

"I suppose..." he admitted reluctantly and there seemed to be a silent sigh of relief from all four angels. 

Suddenly, Gabe clapped his hands together.

"Enough of all this serious talk; you guys said you were coming around to relax, not to discuss future plans for our forces. Can we please change the subject? Like, has anyone seen Riot since they got here? I've not heard anything from him all day."

Sam blinked when he realised that Gabriel was right. The Australian Shepherd hadn't made a peep all day.

The remaining three archangels frowned in thought. Usually they at least got a (rather slobbery) greeting from the dog, but today, Riot hadn't so much as barked.

"Riot?" Sam called and as if a switch had been flipped, there was a loud scrabbling noise from the top of the stairs, which quickly got louder and clumsier as four large paws bounded down the stairs. Before anyone could react, Riot had jumped all over Sam, licked Gabriel's face until drool was literally dripping onto the carpet and was now moving to bury himself under Lucifer's shirt as he tried to press his cold nose into Michael's neck.

Raphael, being the only one who hadn't been brutally attacked, laughed at the sight of his brothers struggling with the dog as its tail wagged so hard his hind legs were beginning to sway.

Riot was by no means a little dog, which is why it was extremely amusing when he finally succeeded in shimmying into Lucifer's shirt, his tongue lolling happily as his tail beat the bronze-winged angel's legs.

Lucifer glared at the dog, chest heaving as the others laughed at him, but Riot's tail wagging just increased and he found himself admitting defeat before scratching the dog's head affectionately.

Riot shuffled out from under his shirt and yawned and that's when Michael noticed the tiny piece of paper stuck to his teeth.

"Did you get any mail today, Gabriel?" He asked after a moment and Sam and Gabe looked to each other as if to say: 'I didn't, did you?'

Then Sam grabbed Riot's collar in realisation and dragged the shred of paper from his mouth, groaning when he figured out why Riot had been so quiet all day.

"Bad dog," he huffed and Gabriel sighed when he, too, caught on.

Riot barked proudly.

"I think you need to train your pet," chuckled Raphael and Gabriel shook his head. 

"He's never done that before!" He narrowed a glare at the dog. "He needs his legs chopping off so he can't be so hyper all the time."

Riot's ears pricked up at Raphael's soft laugh and he trotted over to lie peacefully at his feet, gently licking the sapphire-winged angel's hand when he leaned down to stroke his head.

The others balked.

"Why is he so nice with you?" Demanded Lucifer and Raph shrugged, earning a groan from Gabriel and an amused smile from Sam.

Riot stayed plastered to Raphael's feet for the remainder of the night as they talked about everything from TV shows to what happened on the train the other night. 

As they talked, Gabriel and Sam slowly inched closer to one another until they were leaning on each other comfortably and the other archangels smiled when they got up to leave and Gabriel knocked Sam's shoulder as he stood because they were so close.

They exchanged _'goodnight'_ s and when Raphael, Lucifer and Michael were out of sight, Gabriel shut the door and pecked his lover on the cheek.

Sam raised an eyebrow and Gabriel just grinned back, eyes warm and fond.

They climbed to the top of the stairs, shoulders sagging when they found the mangled, drool-covered letters littering the landing and Sam gathered them together, hoping to salvage what he could from the soggy mess.

They stepped into Gabriel's (well, their) bedroom and quickly kicked Riot off the mattress, telling him to sleep in his own bed.

Riot slinked out of the room, tail between his legs and both Gabe and Sam felt like the cruelest people in existence. Still, they didn't invite him back.

As Gabriel got undressed, Sam shifted through the letters, dumping the ones that were ineligible and keeping those that were just about readable.

He managed to piece together three of Gabriel's and one of his own. 

Not really in the mood to read through yet another bank promotion, he tossed his own letter onto the bedside table and quickly undressed, smirking and wiggling his hips a little at Gabriel's appreciative whistle. He pulled on some sleeping boxers, chuckling at the angel's soft protest, and slipped into bed.

Gabriel attached himself to his demon's side, nuzzling the curve of his neck as he wrapped a golden wing around them both.

Sam pushed the archangel onto his back, kissing him deeply and curled an arm around him. Gabriel's hand wandered into Sam's hair and his other clutched at the base of a wing as he let Sam control their kiss.

"I love you," whispered Gabriel as they pulled apart to breathe and Sam smiled tenderly.

"I love you, too." He felt his dark grace try to reach his lover's and he let it get as close as possible without it actually merging with the angel's. Gabriel closed his eyes and followed Sam's example and the demon felt the echoes of a grace much more fluid and smoother than his own try to combine with his.

They rested their foreheads together, just relishing the feel of being close to one another and Gabriel stroked a hand over Sam's wing, smiling at the demon's soft sigh.

After a few moments, Sam rolled off his angel and tucked him into his chest. Gabriel grinned and snuggled closer, wrapping his wings around Sam as Sam did the same for him. They let their graces settle as close as possible once more and Sam pressed a gentle kiss to his lover's forehead as Gabriel drifted off to sleep. He stroked Gabe's hair for a few minutes before blindly reaching for the letter behind him.

He might as well read it now and this way, he'd get a chance to watch the stunning archangel as he slept, which was always a plus.

Keeping one arm and both wings wrapped securely around Gabriel, Sam opened what was left of the soggy envelope and squinted to read the smudged, watery writing.

When he finally made out the words, his heart stopped and his grace shrunk sharply, causing Gabriel to frown in his sleep and cuddle closer, searching for the echoes of Sam's warm, loving grace.

Sam's breathing became uneven and his wings quivered in distress as he reread the letter over and over and he quickly glanced down to the sleeping archangel, chest tight and thoughts racing.

He noticed small spots of water in Gabriel's hair and it was then that he realised he was crying and he tugged the angel closer as he buried his nose in the golden strands.

Gabriel must have sensed Sam's upset, because he awoke and blinked sleepily, a confused frown marring his expression.

"Sam? You okay?"

Sam nodded and choked back another sob, terrified of Gabriel questioning him and finding out the contents of the letter.

"Yeah. Go back to sleep, love."

Gabriel paused for a second, but either Sam was a good actor or the angel's brain was too tired to fully reboot, because Gabriel closed his eyes again and wrapped a comforting arm around him as he dozed off once more.

Sam held his breath until he knew Gabriel was fully unconscious, before shoving the letter down the gap between the bed and the wall and curling around Gabriel as his body convulsed with silent sobs.

The sender's swirly signature kept appearing in his mind as if mocking him and his current state of mind, and the three words scribbled at the centre of the letter haunted him, ensuring he wouldn't get any sleep that night (and maybe even the nights to come).

He pressed his grace as close as it could get to Gabriel's, needing to feel the essence of the archangel's being even though he knew he didn't deserve it for what he would have to do very soon.

He squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to remember what Gabriel felt like in his arms one last time, before he would lose the archangel forever.

Stuffed in the narrow crevice between the bed and the wall, sat a letter with a message that would change both demons' lives forever.

 

_**Sam,** _

_**Time to move.** _

_**Crowley** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. Things aren't looking good. Hope you're enjoying this story and I'm going to warn you that from now on the pace changes from _fluff_ to _plot, plot and more plot_. 
> 
> But there is a little bit of fluff there too.


	15. Chapter 15

Something was off with Dean. His odd behaviour had started a few days ago, the morning after Balthazar had visited and Castiel was beginning to wonder if he'd offended his demon or his culture somehow.

Dean was twitchy, often looking at Cas nervously as if he expected him to start yelling. There were also times when Cas would try to touch Dean; a hug or a kiss, and Dean would shy away from him almost guiltily.

There was definitely something wrong. Dean was loud and bold and confident, and maybe he had a few self-esteem issues, but he certainly wasn't a bashful person. So why was he suddenly so reluctant to let Castiel near him?

They still conversed as if nothing was wrong, but sometimes, when Castiel tiptoed into emotional territory, Dean would tear his gaze away and refuse to meet his lover's eyes.

Dean was cooking some lunch; by the smell of it, it was some form of curry that would probably burn Cas' tastebuds, but with the robotic way the demon was stirring the sauce, Castiel knew there was something on his mind.

He filed his paperwork away and carefully padded into the kitchen, placing a gentle hand on Dean's shoulder. He frowned when Dean dodged his touch to check the instructions on the empty jar of sauce.

"This doesn't look like the same colour as what's on the picture," said Dean, frowning at the jar and Castiel pulled a face.

_"Dean."_

At the firm tone, the demon froze and Cas swore he saw a panicked expression cross his lover's face. It dimmed somewhat when he switched the hob off and turned around, but it was clear that Dean was wary of him.

And that hurt.

"Yeah?"

Cas paused. He almost sounded resigned, but at what Castiel didn't know.

"Is everything alright?" At Dean's uncertain glance, he elaborated. "With us? Have I done something wrong?"

The demon's eyes widened fractionally before he was shaking his head.

"Everything's fine, Cas." He tried to turn back to the pan, but Cas caught him by the shoulder.

"It's just... you've been acting... strangely. If you're upset with me, tell me. I wouldn't like to have offended you without realising."

These last few days had hurt Cas more than he'd like to admit. Dean had quickly become the most important thing in his life and to know that he was subtly avoiding him without being told why was making Cas' grace throb painfully.

Recently, Dean had been letting his grace rest close to Cas' when they slept, or even hugged, and Castiel had been feeling much lighter and happier for it. He slept easier knowing Dean was there and the nightmares of war and death were much less frequent. 

However, the last couple of nights, Dean had turned away from him as they slept and when Cas had moved to wrap his arm around him, Dean had suddenly excused himself to go to the toilet. He had stopped trying to get close when the demon carefully shrugged his arm away when he thought Cas was sleeping.

He had been plagued with nightmares.

Now though, the more Cas thought about all the ways Dean had been acting out of character, the more a tiny part of his brain began to suggest that maybe Dean wasn't interested in him anymore.

That made his grace shrink in fear.

Dean sighed, snapping Cas from his musings.

"You've not done anything wrong. It's just... I don't know. I guess I'm not feeling too well."

Cas could tell a lie when he heard one.

"Oh. Have you considered visiting the doctor?"

Dean shrugged, but it was forced.

"I don't think it's something he could fix."

It worried Cas that Dean didn't want to open up to him. They shared everything with each other, from troubles at work to renovation ideas for the apartment, so why was he being so elusive?

"You might be surprised. Maybe you should see him, just in case."

"I don't need a doctor!" Snapped Dean and Cas took a step back, eyes wide at the unusual outburst and that annoying part of his brain was telling him that maybe Dean really wasn't interested in their relationship anymore.

Dean closed his eyes, his face looking a lot older than it should as he scrubbed a hand down it.

"I'm sorry, Cas. That wasn't... I didn't mean to shout, I just... I guess I've not been sleeping too well. Sorry," he murmured wearily and Cas' face softened.

He took a cautious step forward, delighted when Dean tensed but didn't pull away as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

"You can stay in today if you want. Get some rest. I'm only shopping for groceries anyway. It'll be quieter when I'm gone."

Dean nodded tightly and Cas tilted his head, wondering if there was any way he'd be able to get what was really upsetting his lover out into the open.

"Is there something bothering you, Dean?" He asked quietly, dismayed when Dean froze once more, looking caught off-guard. He loosened his grip when his demon tried to move away, but he didn't let go completely.

"No," said Dean, gaze not catching Cas' and the angel scowled.

"Please, Dean. Something's obviously wrong. You can't even look at me!" He took a breath as he released his lover, finally giving in to his concerns. "Is there someone else?"

Dean looked lost for a moment before his eyes widened comically and he quickly grabbed Cas' arms.

"No! That's not- Cas, there couldn't be anyone else. You're perfect. I'd never want anyone as much as I want you." He suddenly looked away and Cas was sure he'd seen a tear slip down his face. When he turned back though, it was gone.

"I love you, Cas. More than anything," murmured Dean and Castiel's heart sped up, grace doing somersaults in his chest. There was no mistaking his demon's sincerity.

"I don't want to hurt you," mumbled Dean and although he found the wording a little strange, Cas couldn't deny that Dean sounded truthful.

"Then what's wrong? Why do you keep pulling away whenever I get close?" Cas asked, confused but determined to help his lover.

Dean's hands slowly slid down to his waist and Cas smiled encouragingly, grace pulsing happily.

He was even more surprised when Dean rested their foreheads together.

"I'm sorry," he said. There was a pause in which Dean's face did something odd before he gripped Cas a little tighter, almost as if he was scared to let go.

"When I think about what I've done, the people I've caused to suffer... Why should I be allowed to have you when I've hurt so many?"

Cas frowned. He hated it when Dean's self-depreciation got the better of him.

"Enough, Dean. It was your job. We all know that that's all it was and none of us blame you for it. We've all had our fair share of misgivings, but what you're talking about is in the past. Think of all the good you've done since coming here; all the people you've helped."

Dean looked pained as he spoke.

"My job makes me rip people's happiness away from them. I lie and deceive and end up hurting them in ways that can't be fixed."

Cas chose to ignore the use of present tense. It was just a slip of the tongue anyway, right?

"We've all done things we're not proud of, but we can't change the past. You need to move on. Everyone else has already forgiven you, now you need to forgive yourself." Cas pressed a gentle kiss to Dean's forehead, letting his lips rest there. "I don't care what you've done in your past life. You're here now and that's what matters. Let it go."

This time Cas couldn't deny the tear that slipped down Dean's face and the way his eyes squeezed shut almost regretfully.

Concerned, but hoping his message had got through, Cas pulled Dean closer, tucking the demon's head under his chin as he stroked the oak wings soothingly. He cocooned Dean's body with his own wings, grace settling close to his lover's distressed one in an effort to calm it down, and for the first time in too long, Dean's arms wound tightly around him in an attempt to seek comfort.

Castiel didn't understand what had brought on Dean's current frame of mind, nor could he figure out why Dean seemed to be silently sobbing into his chest as they held each other, but he hoped that whatever it was would pass and the tension that had built up between them over the past few days would fade away as quickly as it came. 

 

* * *

 

"Have the pair of you had an argument?" Asked Michael quietly, wings low but curious as he watched Sam excuse himself to escape to the kitchen.

Gabriel, for the umpteenth time that week, frowned at his lover's retreating figure, wings tilted in concern.

"Raph asked me exactly the same thing yesterday. He's been like this all week. There's obviously something on his mind, but he won't tell me what." Gabriel glanced at his brother, a troubled expression marring his features. "I'm worried about him."

"He is unusually quiet," murmured Michael and even Lucifer was pulling a face. 

"He's twitchy. Nervous even."

Gabriel sighed softly. That little fact hadn't slipped his notice either. It was almost like Sam was hiding something... but that couldn't be right because Sam always came to him when he was having problems, just like he went to Sam when he was feeling low.

"I don't even know what brought this on. He was fine last week and then one morning he just woke up like this. He barely speaks."

Gabriel left out the part where his grace was throbbing painfully because Sam had stopped letting them lie close and his grace was beginning to miss Sam's own.

He also didn't mention how Sam pulled away from him when they settled into bed, yet when he thought Gabriel was sleeping, he would cuddle as close as possible, almost desperate to feel the angel against him. By morning, he had pushed away again.

It was starting to hurt Gabriel. Why was his lover acting so weirdly?

"Is he stressed? Maybe a cadet is giving him difficulties?" Asked Michael and Gabriel shook his head.

"As far as I'm aware, all the newbies have really warmed up to him and Dean. Last week he was telling me how proud of them he was. Besides, Sam's not the type to let a few harsh comments get to him. No, this is... something else," frowned Gabriel in thought. What else could possibly have caused Sam to act like he was?

There was a pause before Lucifer offered quietly, "Dean's been acting the same way."

Gabriel blinked and Michael raised an eyebrow.

"I visited Cas a couple of days ago and Dean was acting really oddly. Kept dodging Cas, wouldn't look him in the eye, conversations were stunted," muttered Lucifer and Gabriel began to feel a sense of foreboding rolling low in his stomach.

"Any idea why?"

Lucifer shrugged helplessly. "Neither does Cas. He's as stumped as the rest of us."

"...Could they be homesick?" Asked Michael after a few moments and his brothers turned to face him.

"They've been with us for a little over two years now... could it be that they're missing their family? What's left of it at least," mused the silver-winged archangel and honestly, the thought had never crossed Gabriel's mind.

Now he was mentally berating himself for not considering his lover's needs. How stupid was he to think that the younger man would just be able to cut ties completely with his former life and the friends he left behind? He may have escaped demon territory because his superiors wanted him dead, but that didn't mean that everyone hated him.

What about Uncle Bobby, who Sam spoke so highly of and Ellen and Jo, who Sam had already admitted were practically a second mother and sister to him? What of his other friends, like Chuck and whacky Garth he spoke so fondly of? And there were so many more that Gabriel had heard of during his time with Sam. How could he have thought that Sam would just forget about them?

"Judging by your horrified expression, I'd say Mikey's pretty close to the mark?" Smirked Lucifer and Gabriel let his head fall into his hands, wings twitching in distress.

"I'm an idiot."

Michael looked torn. "I'm not entirely sure how to go about fixing that," he admitted. "We can't exactly schedule a day trip for them to go back to their old home."

Gabriel closed his eyes. There wasn't much they could do about it to be honest. They would all be shot on sight if they so much as toed the border, and that included Sam and Dean. That left little to no solutions to their problem.

"I'll talk to him about it," said Gabriel, although, he wasn't really sure what that would achieve. "Maybe he'll have an idea."

Lucifer and Michael looked skeptical, but they eventually let the topic drop and moved onto matters of business.

When his brothers finally left, a couple of hours later, during which time Sam had failed to resurface from the kitchen, Gabriel stood to join him.

He sent a sympathetic glance Riot's way as the dog was looking unreasonably sad, as if he too had noticed Sam's sudden mood swing, and he earned a pitiful whine for his efforts.

"Sam?" Gabriel asked softly and the demon stiffened for a second before turning to face him.

"Yeah?"

Gabriel couldn't stop his wings from fluttering in concern.

"So, I've been talking to my brothers and we were wondering if maybe... you were missing your friends?"

Sam looked puzzled so Gabriel elaborated.

"Y'know, Bobby, Ellen, Jo...?"

Sam was still looking confused which wasn't a good sign. Had they been wrong in their assumptions?

"Sam, are you homesick?"

The demon frowned even deeper, as if trying to decipher Gabriel's coded message.

"This is my home," he settled on finally and if that didn't make Gabriel's grace soar.

Suddenly, a flash of panic crossed Sam's eyes and he looked away sharply. Gabriel's face softened, a small smile worming its way onto his features.

"It's okay. You're allowed to miss your friends. Although I am glad to hear that you think this is your home. You don't have to look for another place; I was going to ask you to stay anyway."

Sam looked completely lost and Gabriel had the feeling that he'd just misjudged the entire situation.

"That's... good," said Sam, sounding confused at what he himself was saying.

"Right," agreed Gabriel. At least he thought he had agreed. He wasn't sure they were talking about the same things anymore.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds before Gabriel realised he had come to the wrong conclusion about Sam's situation and he nodded stiffly before leaving the room.

He collapsed onto the couch and stared unseeingly at the ceiling. He couldn't remember a time when he and Sam had misunderstood each other so greatly and he didn't like it now. They had always worked together so effortlessly; they never had to second guess each other so why had everything become so difficult? 

Gabriel just wanted his demon back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm breaking the usual pattern again because I wanted the next chapter to really stand out, so it gets its own bit.
> 
> Hey, look; spot the angst!
> 
> Hope you liked this short feeling-filled chapter!


	16. Chapter 16

When the last of the new cadets had filed out of the room, pale wings bouncing excitedly as they discussed their most recent lesson, Dean glanced to his brother, features grim and eyes shining with dread.

Sam gulped and nodded tightly, wings pulled to his back in a mixture of fear and sorrow.

Dean wanted so desperately to soothe his brother's panic; tell him that they could keep going as they had and forget that they had a mission to complete.

They could. They could find Gabriel and Cas and wrap them in their wings, take them back home and cuddle up to them on their respective couches. Pretend that they weren't going to betray their trust and devastate their society.

But then again, hadn't the angels ruined Sam and Dean's childhoods all those years ago? They had killed their mother and tortured their father to death. They had murdered Jessica in cold blood and wiped out so many of their friends; Jo's father, Jody's family, Rufus... 

How could they turn their backs on all those people? On their friends and family?

But how could they hurt Gabriel and Cas? An archangel that had been used for power by his old flame and a younger angel that had already fallen in love with a demon only to have his heart ripped out through betrayal.

Dean gulped. How could he put Castiel through that again?

Their mission had been to gain the angels' trust until they were in a position to collect information on their government and their armies; all the secrets they had to offer in order to pass them on to their own demonic government. It was supposed to be revenge for the deaths of their friends and family, for all the horrors they'd been subjected to.

Yet the archangels and Castiel were family. To go through with their original mission would mean to put them in harm's way and practically drop them at the feet of the demon government. Who knows what would happen to the angels then? Demons and angels had been at war so long, even civilians would desire revenge for the deaths of their loved ones. 

If the Winchesters were to pass on so much highly classified information to their superiors, angels were sure to lose the war. They would have no rights once the demons took over their lands and the top agents, such as the archangels and Castiel and Balthazar would have it worse. Those that weren't executed would be humiliated and abused by high demons and civilians alike.

Could Dean and Sam really be the ones to cause their lovers' deaths?

Dean squeezed his eyes shut, hot tears clinging to his lashes.

They had to choose between their old family and their new one. Had to decide between the people that had raised them and the people that had killed their parents yet had become so dear to them. Had to pick their close friends or the enemies that they'd grown to love.

Dean's wings quivered in distress. No matter who they chose, it would feel like a loss.

They had been doomed from the start of this mission. Ever since Crowley had called them in to his office. 

They had meant to make the angels trust and like them; they never realised they would fall into their own trap.

Dean looked up when his brother placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"You ready?" He asked, looking like he might throw up and Dean wanted to say no. Wanted to tell Crowley where he could shove his mission. Wanted to run back to Cas and kiss him until he couldn't think straight.

If he turned his back on his fellow demons, he would never be allowed to see any of his friends ever again. They would brand him a traitor and kill him for defecting. They would say the mission had cracked him and that he wasn't the same person anymore. 

He couldn't imagine what the trained agents would do...

He would never be able to talk to Bobby again; the man that had raised him and his brother when their father hadn't had the time. The man that had been with them through thick and thin, when they hadn't had anywhere to turn. The man that had given them a home when they needed one. How could he betray Bobby?

"Yeah," choked Dean after what felt like years and Sam's face seemed to crumple. 

Dean straightened himself up, his features drawing into that well-practiced mask he used in all his missions and he and Sam made their way out of the practice room towards the highly-protected archives.

It had taken a little over a week to organise this next part of their mission. They had had to plan it for when both of them were tutoring the same class and when their lovers were scheduled for office work. There could be no interruptions, which meant that the other archangels and higher agents (like Balthazar) had to be working in other parts of the building. They also had to make sure that the security cameras had a 'glitch' for the ten minutes it would take them to get to the archives.

Nobody questioned their presence in the corridors as they were used to seeing them around both alone and with their angels. They had to be a little more cautious when making their way down to the basement, where the Archives were located as technically they weren't supposed to be there as they had no authorisation to enter the classified area. Still, it was no trouble for two highly trained agents such as Dean and Sam (even if they were a little rusty) and they had made sure to put the internal security cameras on a footage loop earlier that week. Considering very few people visited the Archives, and those that did weren't exactly frequent guests, it would be surprising if any suspicions were aroused.

Sam made quick work of the advanced locking system, years of experience making it so he could hack into the retinal scan system, giving the Winchesters thirty minutes before they had to get out or face being locked in with intruder alarms blaring all around them.

The brothers entered the Archives, quietly sliding the heavy bullet-proof door closed and they paused at the deafening silence surrounding them.

Shelves and shelves of books greeted them, each holding valuable records, histories and transcripts of every person, every conversation every action that had ever passed in angel territory.

It was overwhelming.

After a moment of hesitation, Dean and Sam separated, each choosing a shelf to glance through the spines and labels of the contained records.

After a couple of minutes of trying to relax their fast-pumping hearts, Sam's voice floated around one of the shelves.

"...What are we looking for?" He asked quietly, almost timidly.

Dean had a feeling his brother knew exactly what they were supposed to be looking for, but maybe this was just a way of reassuring himself that they both had every intention on seeing their mission through.

Or maybe it was a way to fill the horrifying silence.

"Personnel files, history records, war transcripts... Crowley wants anything that their higher ups wouldn't want the public to see." He couldn't bring himself to say _'archangels'_ ; it was too personal; personal enough that he might have run out of the room and turned his back on this heart-breaking mission.

Sam made a sound of acknowledgement, though it sounded more like a whimper, and both demons turned back to the task at hand, silence flooding the room.

Dean's hand hovered over one inconspicuous file, heart thumping loud in his ears and wings shaking violently.

He ran a hand over the front cover as he plucked it from its space hoarding dust on the shelf.

 _'Transcripts pertaining to the mass bombings of 1995',_ it read.

Dean remembered that day. It had been the biggest devastation in demon territory for over fifty years; thousands of demons had been carelessly slaughtered by the tiny bombs and no one, not even special ops, had been prepared. 

By all accounts, the angels should never have been able to sneak past demon security measures to place that many explosives around their cities, yet somehow, security had malfunctioned and the angels had slipped into their borders. There were rumours that the angels' higher ups had made deals with certain demons; unethical plans and sacrifices being forged in order to make it seem as though the angels had the upper hand.

If those rumours had any truth in them, this file would contain atrocities that would make even the hardest of stomachs churn.

Dean gulped. Crowley would want this.

He gingerly pulled it from the shelf, hands shaky as he gripped it tight.

The weight of the situation finally hit him and he felt bile rise up his throat before he forced it back down again.

He was actually doing this. He was going to destroy angelic society and practically sentence Cas and Gabriel and all of their other friends to death by demon hands. 

His lover would probably die because of him.

A soft thud made Dean startle and he froze, whole body wracked with tremors as he stared expectantly at the book case hiding the door from view. When nobody rounded the corner to arrest them, he let out a shaky breath. He was being paranoid. Sam was looking through books too so of course there would be some noise.

He calmed his breathing and turned back to the daunting shelves.

He was doing this for his mother. And father... and all the other friends he had lost because of angel activities.

Trying to pretend his resolve had strengthened (when deep down he knew he was more uncertain now than ever), Dean gathered up the courage to peruse the rest of the aisle.

There were plenty of files and records that looked as though they could be incriminating, yet Dean had to make sure that he chose the ones that would cause the most damage.

Details of angels sacrificing their own towns to fool demons, horrifying deals made to exchange weapons and technology amongst factions, and torture of their own people to get information or to prevent information from being leaked to the general public were just a few of the things that would make angelic civilians riot against their government, making it easier for demons to swoop in for the kill and finally put an end to the ever-lasting war.

So the only reason the demons wouldn't be able to terminate the archangels and their top agents would be if their own people had already beaten them to it.

Dean felt sick and he furiously brushed away the hot tears that prickled at his cheeks.

He was just about to pull another file off the shelf, entitled _'Records containing the extensive circumstances of Los Angeles 1974'_ (the day when the angelic city of _Los Angeles_ had been destroyed by demon forces, only for rumours to sprout that it had been sacrificed on purpose to distract demons as their own governmental building was attacked), when Sam's voice cut through the tense atmosphere.

"I can't do this."

Dean startled, but some part of his grace seemed to lift in hopefulness.

"What?"

There was a troubled sigh as Sam rounded the shelf to meet him.

"I can't do this to them. To Gabe. Cas. Any of them." The younger Winchester closed his eyes, pain clear on his face. "I can't hurt them like this."

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Yeah?" He croaked out as Sam nodded tightly, muscles tense as if waiting for Dean to scold him.

"That makes two of us," said Dean with an almost desperate chuckle, eyes haunted and wings quivering through stress. 

Sam's gaze snapped to him, hope shining through. 

Dean felt the need to elaborate. Or maybe he was just trying to reason with himself why going back to Crowley would be a bad idea after all the time they'd spent with the angels.

"After all they've done for us... how they've treated us like family..." Dean gulped, wings stilling as his mind on the matter was made. "They trust us. I don't want to break that. I can't break that."

Sam's gaze lowered to the floor.

"I trust them," he said softly. "I've never trusted anyone like that before besides you. Not even dad."

Dean let a bittersweet smile flicker over his face.

"I know." He sighed quietly. "What are we doing? We get one letter from Crowley after two years and suddenly we're back at his beck and call? Are we really going to betray them like this for someone who barely cares about us? For all he knows, we could be dead. It's not like he stayed in touch or offered us help if things went wrong."

Sam frowned. "He didn't care when mom and dad died, why should he care about us? These angels have shown us more sympathy than our own co-workers ever did."

Dean thought about the truth of that statement. 

"Because they love us," he murmured and Sam shared a glance with him for a second before a small smile graced his brother's features.

"I love them," said Sam simply. "They're family."

Dean's mind wandered to Castiel. He thought about the way his grace soared whenever the other man entered a room, he thought about how terrified he'd been when Cas had had to leave for that mission; how lost and lonely he felt when the angel wasn't there. He thought about the nights they'd spent curled up together on the bed, just holding each other close with their wings.

Then he thought about how much Cas trusted him; how far he'd come from the time he'd been betrayed by another demon lover. He thought about the times Cas had stood up for him against his friends and family, content to let his reputation be further damaged if it meant being able to spend time with Dean.

Was Dean supposed to throw that all away and forget about it for someone he barely knew and hadn't heard from in two years?

"Cas has already suffered once, I'm not letting him go through that again," muttered Dean determinedly, wings high and proud.

"And I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if I hurt Gabe. I didn't think I'd be able to feel this way about someone after Jess, but I was wrong. He means everything to me."

Dean shot a tiny smile at his brother. He remembered how much Jessica meant to Sam. He must really love the archangel if he was comparing the two.

The older Winchester took a deep breath as he realised the consequences of what they were admitting to.

"So what? Are we defecting for real?" This was a big deal. If they chose the angels now, they would never be allowed back in their old homes. They wouldn't be allowed to see their friends and what little family they had left across the border. They would become enemies to their former co-workers and no mercy would be shown if they were ever captured. It didn't matter if they decided to become neutral; demon forces would attempt to kill them for the information they possessed.

Sam frowned contemplatively.

"I think we turned our backs on our government the day we left Crowley's office."

Dean raised an eyebrow, but amusement was clear in his tone. 

"Even if we didn't know it back then?"

A half-smile flitted across Sam's face.

"Even if we didn't know it then."

Suddenly, the smirks dropped from both demons' faces.

"We'll never see Bobby again. Nor Ellen and Jo or any of the others. If we do this, we can never return," said Dean seriously and Sam nodded.

"I know," he said solemnly. There was a pause. "I think I've made peace with that. I'm not happy about leaving our friends and I'm devastated at the thought of never being able to see Bobby again, but I'd rather be a traitor than hand Gabriel and his brothers over to our bosses."

Dean shook his head.

"I'd rather die than let Crowley get his grubby hands on them."

Sam chuckled. "I think we've fallen pretty hard."

Dean smirked in agreement. "As much as I hate chick-flick moments; I think you're right. But don't tell anyone I said that."

Sam grinned, a bit of the tension in the atmosphere crumbling away. The pair shared a fond glance before Dean felt something he hadn't felt in two years.

It was like a dim poking sensation at his grace, barely there and very cautious, but there was certainly something trying to get through.

For the first time since he arrived in angel territory, Dean opened his side of their sibling bond, only for his grace to be swamped by another.

It made him stumble a step backwards; the amount of relief and affection his brother's grace was attacking his own with was a huge shock after going so long with the link between them closed. It was as though Sam had physically pounced on him and tugged him into a bear hug.

Dean felt more at home than he'd ever been.

He quickly pushed as much love and relief back through his side of the bond, lips quirking upwards when Sam closed his eyes, wings fluttering happily.

It had been far too long.

"I almost forgot what it felt like," murmured Sam, basking in the comforts of 'brother' and 'family'.

Dean nodded. "After all this time without, I think I forgot we could even do this."

Sam chuckled and they enjoyed a few more moments of once again being able to feel that the other was there without having to see them, before Sam glanced at the book case hiding the exit.

His grace reluctantly retreated away from Dean's as he nodded towards the heavy door.

"Let's get out of here. I'm ready to go home."

Dean had no qualms with that idea.

Besides, the security system was set to alarm in another few minutes.

They quickly made their way out of the Archives, Sam resetting the systems to how they'd been before they'd hacked into them.

When the brothers were sure everything was how it was supposed to be and there was no evidence of their entry, they quietly started towards the upper levels, ensuring no one saw their suspicious activities. 

It wouldn't do to get caught now after making the decision to choose the angels over their own species.

They walked towards the main hall where they sometimes waited for their lovers to finish working so they could fly home together. When they arrived, Gabriel was already there, even though his shift wasn't scheduled to end for another couple of hours.

It seemed as though a cadet had cornered him to ask him something and when he spotted Sam, his eyes brightened with fondness as he quickly lost interest in whatever the young angel was saying to him.

He gave whatever advice was required before making his way over to both Winchester brothers.

"Hey, Sam," the angel said softly, warm eyes filled with affection and the younger Winchester raised an eyebrow.

"Dean," continued Gabriel with a nod, as if realising where they were and the older Winchester smiled half-heartedly in response, sensing his brother's desire to be alone with the archangel. With their bond now open, it was easy to communicate their thoughts and feelings across to one another.

"Cas won't be out for another hour," informed Gabriel, as though reading Dean's mind and the demon nodded before gesturing towards the exit.

"I'll go back to the apartment then, leave you two alone," he said, lips twitching at Sam's gratefulness through the bond.

He and his brother had a lot of making up to do after their strange behaviour during the past couple of weeks.

Gabriel flicked his wings in acknowledgement before his focus was back on Sam.

Dean shook his head in amusement before vacating the building.

He had a lover to apologise to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? I'm not _that_ cruel. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for all the lovely comments so far!


	17. Chapter 17

After vacating the Archives, Sam and his brother made their way up to the Great Hall, where they sometimes waited for their lovers to finish with work (or vice versa) so they could return home together. 

When they stepped into the waiting area, Sam's attention was drawn completely and utterly to Gabriel, who was chatting with a young cadet.

Upon noticing Sam however, Gabriel seemed less interested in the conversation and when it was over he paced towards his younger lover.

There was something about the archangel that seemed different. Sam couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but it was as though Gabriel was happier than he'd been in a while; his eyes seemed to shine and his wings were bobbing lightly as though everything was going for him. It was a stark contrast to how he'd been acting these past couple of weeks; subdued and concerned at Sam's own odd behaviour. Had Gabriel had some good news?

"Hey, Sam," he greeted softly, a warm fondness in his tone and Sam felt his grace pulse in response. Still, he raised an eyebrow because after the way he'd acted this week, it was strange that Gabriel would be so receptive of him.

Also, Dean was beside him.

As if picking up on this, Gabriel's gaze flicked over to the other Winchester.

"Dean."

His brother must have sensed Sam's need to apologise to Gabriel for the past two weeks, because he made a quick retreat back to his own home, leaving Sam and the archangel alone.

"Are you free now?" Sam asked tentatively, uncertain where to begin and Gabriel shook his head (to the demon's dismay).

"Michael sent me down to check on something, but I was just on my way back up when Efram caught me."

Sam nodded, wings drooping a little.

Gabriel's face softened and he placed a hand over Sam's arm with that same affection that was present in his gaze from earlier.

"I won't be long. A couple of hours at most. We can talk then?"

Sam smiled wordlessly, allowing Gabriel to get back to work. He needed time to think how to word his apology anyway and two hours wasn't an incredibly long time to wait.

At the end of those two hours, Sam found himself in their house, wings twitching stressfully as the memories of him almost betraying his lover replayed over and over in his head.

How was he supposed to tell Gabriel that the reason he'd been acting out-of-character was because he had been given a letter by his supposedly former boss that instructed him to steal from their protected Archives in order to ruin angelic society? What was he supposed to say; _'by the way, two years ago I lied when I said I defected, but don't worry, after almost giving away all your secrets to my government, I realised that I actually want to defect now. What's for dinner?'_

He'd be lucky if he didn't get thrown into a cell with Naomi.

He trusted Gabriel, he really did. The question was, would he trust Sam if he told him the truth?

Maybe he should leave it for now. Keep quiet about the letter (which he'd shredded) and all the things he and Dean had discussed until a more appropriate time arose.

Like never.

Then Sam felt awfully guilty because he and Gabriel shared everything with each other; their problems, their hopes, their dreams, their insecurities...

However, Sam wasn't ready to take that leap just yet. Not when it was so fresh.

A key in the front door alerted him to Gabriel's arrival and Riot barked once in acknowledgement.

Keeping quiet was probably the best option at the moment.

"Gabe?" He called as Riot rocketed towards the front door in search of his other friend.

There was a familiar chuckle as Riot presumably knocked Gabriel over and Sam couldn't help the grin lighting his face.

He had missed that laugh.

Satisfied, Riot trotted back into the living room, making way for a very fluffy Gabriel, who brushed himself off when he spotted Sam.

"Hi," he greeted quietly and Sam shot him an apologetic smile.

"Hey."

Suddenly, Gabriel had crossed the room and his arms were firmly coiled around Sam's middle, golden wings curled around his back as he claimed the demon's lips with as much passion as he could muster.

Sam, although surprised, quickly adjusted to the surprising turn of events and kissed back with as much fervour, his own wings wrapping around Gabriel possessively.

When they pulled apart to breathe, Gabriel closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Sam's.

"Missed you," he whispered, and Sam felt a spark of guilt in his grace before squeezing the little angel tighter.

"'M sorry. Never meant to worry you."

Gabriel huffed out a laugh. "You didn't do a very good job."

Sam nuzzled his hair.

"I know. I had some stuff to work out. I guess I wasn't very good at hiding it."

Gabriel was oddly quiet for a moment and Sam felt a brief flash of panic at the thought that the angel was going to ask questions.

"It's okay. We all have off-days. Or in your case, weeks."

Sam winced slightly and Gabriel seemed to realise his mistake.

"That came out horribly. Sorry." He paused, basking in Sam's embrace. "I'm just glad you're back. Turns out I depend on you more than I thought."

Sam ran gentle fingers through a golden wing, smirking when the appendage immediately leaned into his touch.

"I love you too," he replied quietly, heart more convinced that he'd chosen the right path with every passing minute. "And I'm so sorry. Is there any way you could forgive me?" He asked tentatively.

He didn't deserve to be forgiven. Not if Gabriel knew the whole picture. However, he wasn't lying when he said he loved the angel; he'd die for him if it ever came to that and the fact that he wouldn't think twice about that statement spoke volumes for its sincerity.

Gabriel and his brothers were his family now and he didn't regret that for a second. He was positive that Gabriel would want clearer answers pertaining to his odd behaviour these past couple of weeks, but he hoped that for now, the archangel could hear in his voice how much he meant to the young demon.

"Always," replied Gabriel simply and Sam's grace back-flipped in joy.

They held onto each other for a few more moments, wings brushing as much as possible, before Gabriel nuzzled at his neck.

"Does this mean I can kiss you again? Whenever I want? I miss holding you."

And if Sam's heart didn't break at that.

He gathered the angel into his arms, peppering kisses all over his face as he stroked any part of Gabriel's wings he could get hold of. Gabriel was practically purring by the time their lips met and the archangel quickly buried his hand in Sam's mop of hair almost desperately.

"I take that as a _'yes'_ ," he breathed with a grin and Sam chuckled, enjoying the feeling of Gabe's body flush with his own.

Finally, after what simultaneously felt like a lifetime, yet much too soon, they pulled apart.

"So, what do you want for dinner?" Asked Gabriel as he whirled on his heel, heading towards the kitchen.

And just like that, everything was back to normal. 

Gabriel had forgiven him without pushing to see what had caused Sam to have such a drastic personality change and Sam felt better for it. Everything was back to the way it was before.

Well. _Almost._

Gabriel stumbled a little as Sam pounced on him from behind, winding his arms around his stomach as he wrapped his wings around him securely.

The archangel was about to ask what was going on, when he felt a familiar warmth trying to reach his grace.

He froze, letting the edges of Sam's dark grace brush the edges of his much brighter one and he relaxed into his lover's hold, responding in turn with love and need from his own grace.

Sam nosed at the curve between Gabriel's neck and shoulder, trying to convey just how much he wanted the angel, despite what his previous actions of these past weeks may have implied. 

Gabriel arched into Sam, the feeling of their graces' fields only lightly touching not being enough to satisfy either of their longing for one another, and the demon held his lover a little tighter.

"I need you so much, Gabriel," whispered Sam as the weight of the day finally hit him and he realised what he'd almost given up; what he could have lost. 

Gabriel placed a hand over Sam's own, the demon relishing the feelings of _'family'_ and _'love'_ and _'trust'_.

"I need you too, kiddo," Gabe murmured. "For a few moments, I thought I'd lost you."

The truth of that sentence hit a little too close to home for Sam, even if Gabriel didn't know the irony of what he was saying.

"I promise I'll never shut you out like that again. I'm so sorry," muttered Sam, wings trying to hide the archangel from the world.

"You better not," huffed Gabriel in what sounded like relief. 

Sam couldn't get enough of touching his angel. It made the whole situation seem so much more real; he knew he'd made the right decision to stay with the angels the moment Gabriel entered his arms.

After a few more minutes, Gabriel began to chuckle.

"As much as I love you pressing up against me, I think we need to eat before we tango in bed."

Sam couldn't help it.

"Who says we need a bed?" He growled playfully into the archangel's ear, nodding towards a kitchen counter.

Gabriel's eyes flashed with interest before he shook his head.

"No, you're a bad influence. Dinner first."

Sam smiled. This was what their relationship was supposed to be like; teasing and fun. He had initially been worried that Gabriel may have been wary of any more apparent mood swings from him, but the angel seemed perfectly happy to continue on as before that stupid letter had appeared.

He stroked a beautiful golden wing one last time (just to make sure this was all real) before letting Gabriel get on with whatever he planned on doing.

Ten minutes later saw Gabriel preparing a spicy goulash as Sam nuzzled his neck, a possessive arm resting on his stomach. 

If Gabriel's smile was anything to go by, it didn't seem like he particularly minded.

 

* * *

 

"Dean?" Cas asked cautiously as he locked the front door.

His lover had been acting out-of-character for two weeks now, barely letting him touch him at all during this period. Whenever Cas had asked about his odd behaviour, Dean had managed to hedge around vague answers, leaving Cas more stumped than when he first started asking questions.

Sure, they'd had their sort-of heart-to-heart just over a week ago, where Dean had pretty much broken down in his arms, yet Cas still had more questions than answers and he was beginning to wonder if anything would ever be the same between them again.

There was some shuffling from the kitchen and when Cas made to see what the noise was, Dean popped his head out of the door.

"Cas!" He greeted with a grin and the angel was surprised enough by the mood change to freeze.

The demon padded up to him and Cas took note of his nervous wings. Obviously things weren't as well as first impressions seemed.

Dean paused at the doorway, leaving a three foot gap between them both and Cas tilted his head warily as Dean rubbed idly at his arm.

"I... I don't know where to start," muttered Dean apologetically and Cas' heart dropped. Was this it? Was this the part where Dean told him he wasn't interested anymore? The signs were confusing and Dean had assured him that there was no one else, but what other possibility could there be for the demon's mood swing other than a loss in interest for him?

"I'm so sorry, Cas," continued Dean and Castiel couldn't stop his wings from shaking. Dean was going to walk away. He was going to lose the only one who had succeeded in healing his heart and trust after the disaster that was Alistair. The person who had brought meaning and fun back to his life was going to abandon him. 

Where had he gone wrong?

"I've been such a jerk these past couple of weeks and I'm so sorry. I upset you and confused you when you haven't done a thing wrong. You don't deserve that."

Cas paused. That didn't sound like a person who wanted to tell him it was over.

"I... I needed to work some things out. With Sam. Something came up and we... I guess it got to us. Messed with our heads a little. I'm sorry for not telling you," mumbled Dean nervously and Cas' wings sagged in relief.

Dean caught the movement and raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were going to say you wanted to end our relationship," explained Cas sheepishly and this only seemed to make Dean look even more ashamed.

Not fond of when Dean was looking miserable, Cas crossed the distance between them and cautiously placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay now though? These ... _'things'_... are they sorted or do you wish to talk about them?" A thought occurred to him; something Michael had mentioned. "Is it one of the cadets? Are they disrespecting you?"

Dean blinked before shaking his head. "No, nothing like that. They're doing really well."

Cas tilted his head in encouragement, but when Dean wouldn't meet his gaze, the angel decided not to push. Dean would tell him when he was ready. His priority was making sure the demon was alright now.

"You know if there's anything bothering you, I'm right here?" Murmured Cas softly and Dean let a tiny smile settle on his face before glancing up at his angel.

"I know. Thank you. That means a lot."

Cas squeezed his shoulder carefully in reassurance, not brave enough to move in for a proper hug lest he scare the demon away again.

However, Dean's nose wrinkled at the impersonal gesture and Cas quickly found himself yanked into his demon's strong arms, a pair of coffee-coloured wings wrapping around him as Dean buried his nose in his hair.

"I'm sorry," the demon whispered. "I never meant to worry you. You mean everything to me and I never want to hurt you."

Cas felt every last remaining doubt he had drain away at that, and he pulled Dean tighter to him, letting the demon's presence soothe all his worries. 

Dean stroked one of his wings, ironing the stress of the past fortnight away with the simple touch and Cas finally allowed himself to relax.

"Missed this," he mumbled, voice muffled by Dean shoulder. "Missed you."

Dean squeezed his middle protectively. "I'm so sorry."

Cas shook his head as he turned it to place a sweet kiss to his lover's jaw.

"You're sure everything is okay with you now? If there's anything I can do to help you, please tell me. I don't want you to get stressed over something we could possibly work out together."

Dean smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to the angel's lips.

"Everything's fine now. It's sorted." He stole another kiss before his expression turned shy. "Cas, I've treated you awfully these past couple of weeks. Is there any way you can forgive me?"

Honestly, Castiel didn't understand why Dean felt the need to ask him that. Wasn't it obvious how he felt about the demon? They were bound to have their ups and downs; every relationship had them. As long as they worked through them and learned from their mistakes, what did it matter? Besides, it's not like Dean had abused him in any way. The demon was talking as if he'd lost his temper and harmed Castiel. The most he'd done was make him wonder if they were about to break up.

"Do you really need to ask?" He said as he pulled Dean down for a far less innocent kiss than the previous ones.

Dean looked a little dazed when they pulled apart, but when he finally came to his senses, he tightened his grip on his angel as he nuzzled gratefully at his throat.

"I love you," whispered Dean sincerely and Cas' grace tried to leap at the demon's.

He gasped when Dean's returned the sentiment and although the sensation was faint, the echoes of love and happiness and need from Dean's dark grace took his breath away. It had been two weeks since he'd felt this and Cas relished every second.

Dean seemed perfectly happy to bask in the aura of love and relief coming from Cas' own grace and they stood in each other's arms for a few moments before Dean pressed his lips against Cas' head. 

"I made some apology hamburgers because I know how much you love them."

Cas chuckled. Trust Dean to try to get to his heart through food (not that he didn't already have his heart).

"Then you're definitely forgiven."

Dean grinned and nuzzled his cheek. "It was my plan B."

Castiel shook his head in amusement as they separated and he shot Dean a look of fondness.

"Did you honestly think that after all this time and after everything you've done for my brothers and I, I wouldn't forgive you for something as petty as a bad couple of weeks?"

Dean shrugged, guilt flashing across his eyes.

"You have every right not to."

Cas frowned but didn't push. Obviously he'd have to work to make Dean realise he held nothing against him.

He slipped his hand into Dean's and squeezed gently; a sign of reassurance, and immediately Dean relaxed, his expression morphing into one of contentment.

"I'll... uh... I'll go and check on those burgers," he mumbled as he walked into the kitchen.

He jumped when a pair of arms slid around his waist from behind, but Cas didn't miss the smile and the way his wings shifted slightly to make room for him.

Cas nuzzled at Dean's neck as the demon continued cooking and he felt a smile of his own worm its way onto his face.

Dean hadn't pushed him away for the first time in two weeks and it gave Castiel hope that their relationship was finally going to change back to the way it had been before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing parallels between the two relationships; I mean they are brothers ;)


	18. Chapter 18

"Sam still acting off?"

Gabriel sighed and glanced to Lucifer.

"Yeah. The kid won't let me near him. I'm beginning to wonder if he's sick."

Lucifer's face twisted in sympathy as Michael's gaze flicked over to them before returning to his work.

Raphael tilted his head. "Would you like me to take a look at him?"

Gabriel pulled a face. "I don't know if he'd appreciate a healer of your stature checking him over. In fact, I think he'd be more twitchy because you're related to me," he finished with a frown, heart aching.

Raphael's face softened.

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me, brother."

Gabriel smiled in gratitude before Michael's unsure call of their names gained their attention.

He was frowning at a small blinking light on a panel in his desk, which was immediate cause for concern because that light hadn't blinked for over twenty years.

"The Archives?" Asked Lucifer confusedly as his brothers crowded around the monitor that displayed the CCTV footage of the lower floors.

The footage showed that there was nothing amiss as there was no one present on the level that the Archives were located, yet the little light implied to the contrary. 

That light combined with the frenzied alarm that had just set off, signalled an attempt to force entry through the Archive's heavy, bullet-proof doors, yet the archangels could see that there was no need for either of these things to be functioning.

Still, they couldn't just dismiss a warning like this.

"Gabriel, could you go downstairs to check the door?" Michael asked with a worried scowl. "Lucifer, I want you to check that this monitor feed is live. Raphael, block the corridor that leads to the basement; we don't want any of the cadets wandering down there if we really do have an intruder. There's too much valuable information at risk. I need to contact head of security to see if they've noticed any suspicious activity."

The younger brothers nodded respectfully before moving to complete their respective tasks.

Raphael kept the corridors empty for Gabriel as he crept down to the basement and at first sight, it seemed as though there had been a glitch with the alarms, but as he neared the Archive's door, his stomach dropped.

The door was closed, yet the sensor that allowed access by pass and pin was displaying an error code that had activated the siren in Michael's office.

Gabriel frowned, running his fingers over the gun he'd grabbed on his way down. It was nestled securely in his pocket and he hoped he wouldn't have to use it.

Who could have sneaked into the Archives without anyone noticing? Metatron had been captured and no demon had ever reached this far into the building. Had one of their own hacked in? What would they be looking for?

Gabriel eased the door open silently, thankful for the book case that obstructed the entrance from the rest of the Archives, thereby concealing his presence.

He stalked to the end of the book case and peeked his head around the corner.

Only for his heart to stop.

The sight of Dean and Sam greeted him, their hands roaming over spines of records and transcripts from different aisles as their faces were glued in a constant state of concentration.

Gabriel felt his wings beginning to shake in foreboding and he stilled them with great effort, his heart racing at the possibilities of what both demons' presence down here meant.

No; he was being too hasty in his judgement; after all, neither had done anything in two years to warrant any suspicions arising... maybe they had wandered down by accident?

 _'Although they have been acting oddly these past two weeks,'_ a treacherous part of Gabriel's brain reasoned and he quickly forced the thought to the back of his mind.

What should he do now? He couldn't just confront them because as much as it pained him to admit it, if they were up to anything, they wouldn't reveal it to him anyway.

Gabriel shook his head. They couldn't have any harmful intentions down here. Sam loved him. They had been through so much together and it was laughable to think that the demon would actively seek to hurt him. 

They were family. Gabriel's grace felt at ease when Sam's was near; there was no way the demon planned on ruining that. And surely Dean would never hurt Cas; the elder Winchester was more protective of Cas than all of his brothers put together. There was no chance of either demon ever betraying them. No, there had to be another reason why they were snooping around.

The archangel calmed his thoughts enough to pop his head around the shelf once more.

Sam's small voice startled him.

"...What are we looking for?"

There was a tense pause, Gabriel's heart hammering loud in his ears, before Dean answered him.

"Personnel files, history records, war transcripts... Crowley wants anything their higher ups wouldn't want the public to see."

Gabriel doubled over, an intense feeling of pain and grief washing through his grace as his wings plastered themselves against his back. A tear slipped from under his lashes as he let out a silent cry of despair, eyes glowing a dim, heartbroken gold. 

The brothers were traitors. They had betrayed the angels and earned their trust in order to gain access to the most classified information the citadel withheld. To hear that after two years of living here, they were still taking orders from Crowley, despite their desperate plea to the contrary when they'd first arrived, was enough to make Gabriel's heart tear itself in half.

He'd wasted two years of his life playing right into Sam's hands.

He clutched at his head, where a migraine had begun to form, and wondered if Sam had ever felt any form of affection for him or if he'd hated him in the same way Alistair had despised Cas all those years ago. The thought made his grace pulse in agony.

Michael had been right. He had been stupid to attempt a relationship with the demon and in doing so, had been blinded to Sam's true alliance. 

But the Winchesters had helped them. They had trained the cadets to better attack and defend; had helped them catch the rogue angel who had been sending letters across the border. Sam had been so protective of Gabriel at Kali's wedding and Dean had been out of his mind when Cas had been ordered to infiltrate demon territory.

That didn't sound like a pair of demons who were trying to destroy angel society.

...Or maybe they were elaborate methods of gaining the archangel's and their agents' collective trust, before they began their true mission.

Too many conflicting thoughts pounded at his skull and Gabriel couldn't help one last peek around the bookcase to ensure what he was seeing was real.

Dean was peering at a dusty file half-jammed on its shelf, but on its cover Gabriel could just make out the words _'Transcripts pertaining to the mass bombings of 1995'._

The demon contemplated it for a few moments before pulling it out and moving on.

Gabriel stumbled backwards. This was actually happening. Sam and Dean were going to betray them after two years of everyone believing their plea for amnesty was sincere. They hadn't really defected and he had been so naive to trust that Sam had loved him. Even his brothers had fallen for the lie.

Cas had fallen for the same trap twice now. This would break him.

He thought about all the times Sam had let his grace lie close to Gabriel's own and felt physically sick; the demon had deceived him in every way possible. He was supposed to be known for his experience and success in manipulating people's emotions and thoughts, yet he'd fallen for his own trick at Sam's hands. 

He felt like a fool; had believed he was in love. Michael was right; he was too immature to run an army. How could he have failed his brothers like this?

In his haste to back away from the scene and from the brothers' view, he forgot how close he was to the wall behind, and the soft thump as his back collided with it made him hold his breath.

If the brothers caught him spying, would they kill him?

He fingered his gun at the thought.

The shuffling of papers paused and Gabriel gulped silently as he wondered if someone was going to die here in the next few seconds. Would he even be able to shoot one of them if it came to that?

After a few long moments, the shuffling recommenced and Gabriel heard a set of footsteps begin to explore the rest of the archives.

He willed his grace and heart to calm down. What now? Should he leave the archive and inform his brothers of what he'd seen? If he did that, it would give Sam and Dean the opportunity to escape without being caught. All those valuable files would be lost and society would be under threat of an uprising against the government and its trusted associates.

Maybe he should attack now, whilst the brothers were off-guard? 

The thought made bile surge up his throat. Not only were the odds not in his favour, but the idea of killing these two men was enough to shatter his grace. They were family, or at least had been believed to be at some point. How could he kill his lover and his friend?

Still, the possibility of them escaping was too high if he were to leave now and he couldn't let them take all that intel when there was a way to stop them.

He hesitantly slipped his gun out of its holder.

Just as he gathered enough courage to walk around the corner and reveal himself, Sam's broken voice cut through the air.

"I can't do this."

Gabriel paused, gun loaded and poised as he stood hidden in his position behind the book case.

"What?" Dean asked quietly.

A sigh. "I can't do this. To Gabe. Cas. Any of them." He was silent for a second as Gabriel's heart leapt into his mouth in anxiety. 

"I can't hurt them like this."

Gabriel's eyes widened and he backed away from the end of the shelf, lowering his gun.

What was going on?

"Yeah?" Dean asked in a small voice and the archangel held his breath. Would Dean punish his brother for turning against him?

The older Winchester chuckled, but it didn't sound like a chuckle; it sounded desperate and relieved.

"That makes two of us."

Gabriel blinked. What?

"After all they've done for us... how they've treated us like family..." Dean gulped nervously and Gabriel couldn't stop the flutter of hope in his grace. "They trust us. I don't want to break that. Can't break that."

Sam's reply was soft, reminiscent. "I trust them. I've never trusted anyone like that before besides you. Not even dad."

"I know," said Dean with a hint of bitterness. "What are we doing? We get one letter from Crowley after two years and suddenly we're back at his beck and call? Are we really going to betray them like this for someone who barely cares about us? For all he knows, we could be dead. It's not like he stayed in touch or offered us help if things went wrong." 

Sam's voice was hardened. "He didn't care when mom and dad died, why should he care about us? These angels have shown us more sympathy than our own co-workers ever did." 

"Because they love us," came Dean's murmured reply.

Gabriel couldn't believe what he was hearing. So the brothers didn't hate angels? Were they actually going to defy Crowley's orders despite not having truly defected?

What Sam said next was enough was enough to answer both his questions and simultaneously make his heart soar.

"I love them," said Sam simply, but with determination. "They're family."

Gabriel's wings sagged in a mixture of relief and gratefulness and his grace expanded with so much happiness, he thought his chest might explode.

The brothers did love them! It wasn't a trick or some cruel attempt at manipulation; Sam and Dean considered the angels their family! 

Nobody had to die tonight.

"Cas has already suffered once, I'm not letting him go through that again," muttered Dean with conviction and Gabriel's grace pulsed in a mixture of respect and affection. The elder Winchester's protectiveness over Castiel confirmed he was nothing like Alistair; nothing like the cold, soulless demon that had tossed Cas into the dirt so effortlessly. 

"And I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if I hurt Gabe. I didn't think I'd be able to feel this way about someone after Jess, but I was wrong. He means everything to me." 

Gabriel's wings fluttered at Sam's words, grace brightening and heart doing back-flips.

Their relationship wasn't some cleverly-crafted lie to make Gabriel trust the younger Winchester, and to hear himself being compared to Sam's fiancé; a young girl who had possibly been killed indirectly by Gabriel's or his brothers' orders was a miracle on its own. Even after all the blood-shed and warfare between their species, Sam still found it in his heart to forgive and love the youngest leader of the angelic forces.

The thought was a sobering one and he glanced at his gun in disgust. How could he have doubted the Winchesters so tragically? Had they not been trialled enough for their pasts? 

He shoved the weapon into its holster.

Dean's voice was uncertain, nervous even.

"So what? Are we defecting for real?"

Gabriel gulped. As much as he cared for both demons and as much as they had shown their affection for Gabriel and his brothers, the answer to that particular question would determine the Winchesters' futures within angelic ranks. 

If they chose to return to demon territory, they would be targeted by angelic forces until they were completely terminated, as their involvement with high-ranking angels would label them liabilities to angel intel, despite their refusal to harm (socially or physically) any of the angels they worked with.

And Gabriel would have to be the one to inform his brothers of their relapse.

He didn't want to admit it, but there was too much at risk to society if the Winchesters chose to slip back to their boss now, even if it was empty handed. 

He loved Sam, but he couldn't afford to be so selfish as to let the brothers escape with so much valuable knowledge on the way their forces worked. Not to mention they had now seen the archives and some of the information it contained.

That meant the boys would be dumped into Naomi's hands and Gabriel didn't want to think of the implications of that. 

"I think we turned our backs on our government the day we left Crowley's office," said Sam carefully and Gabriel bit back the sigh of relief threatening to spill from his lips.

"Even if we didn't know it back then?" Asked Dean, through what sounded like a smile and the archangel grinned with him.

"Even if we didn't know it then," agreed Sam and Gabriel's grace pulsed with joy. The reply was better than he could have ever hoped for. The brothers had no intention on turning on them and so Naomi would never touch a feather on their wings. 

Suddenly, the air around them seemed to grow heavy and solemn as the consequences of their comments settled in everyone's minds. 

"We'll never see Bobby again. Nor Ellen and Jo or any of the others. If we do this, we can never return," said Dean seriously. 

"I know," murmured Sam. There was a pause. "I think I've made peace with that. I'm not happy about leaving our friends and I'm devastated at the thought of never being able to see Bobby again, but I'd rather be a traitor than hand Gabriel and his brothers over to our bosses." 

"I'd rather die than let Crowley get his grubby hands on them," growled Dean and Sam chuckled. 

"I think we've fallen pretty hard." 

Gabriel had to physically stop himself from running around the corner and kissing Sam breathless. To hear the demons side with them despite knowing all they'd lose was heart-warming; his grace was hammering at his chest, desperate to get close to Sam's and Gabriel was half-convinced the brothers would be able to feel the excitement and gratitude radiating from his bright grace.

To hear it from Dean's own tongue that they would be willing to die for the angels was enough to convince Gabriel what he needed to do next.

Retreating to the door as silently as he could, he slipped through the exit and reset the error code displayed on the monitor outside the Archive's door. He punched in an override code, making it look like he had granted access permission to whoever had visited the room and when he was satisfied no more alarms would be set off, he padded upstairs into the main body of the citadel.

Raphael stood to attention, wings raised in anxiousness.

"Anyone down there?"

Gabriel hesitated. He didn't want to lie to his brothers, but if they thought, for even a second, that the Winchester brothers had broken into the Archives, both demons would have a hefty price to pay. Not to mention any trust which had formed between the angels and demon brothers would have been shattered in a heartbeat, even if the Winchesters tried to explain their apparent epiphany and complete swing in loyalty to the archs.

Castiel and Dean's relationship would be ruined and the young heartbroken angel may even go back to being the cold, emotionless agent he had been before Dean had tumbled into his life.

He didn't want to lie, but unless his brothers had been there to witness the demons' change in heart and their fierce protectiveness over who they considered their new 'family', the angelic leaders would not take too kindly to the Winchesters' seemingly traitorous turn. They would be locked away for questioning, maybe even tortured by Naomi and they would have no standing in society; instead being treated like prisoners by civilians and the force alike.

They wouldn't get a second chance at rehabilitation.

Gabriel shuddered internally. Sam would be dragged away from him when he was innocent and if Gabriel spoke up, he would be accused of being groomed and manipulated by the youngest Winchester. He may even lose his position in the citadel.

Gabriel didn't want to lie to his brothers, but he had no choice.

"No," he replied smoothly. "Seems like a fault in the system. I've just entered the override code to shut off the alarms, but I couldn't see anyone down there. I'll get a technician to look at the programming later on."

Raphael paused as if he wasn't entirely convinced, but Gabriel shrugged and the sapphire-winged angel nodded, satisfied.

"If you're certain, brother. You better inform Michael of your findings when we return; he'll have no luck with security if what you say is true."

Gabriel nodded and the pair began to make their way back to Michael's office, when a young cadet called Gabriel's name.

Raphael chuckled at his brother's eye roll and continued his way to the office, leaving Gabriel chatting to Efram about something to do with a specific areal manoeuvre he'd seen Gabriel perform, but couldn't quite master himself.

A pair of footsteps drew his attention away from the conversation and his grace brightened when he spotted Sam and Dean making their way through the hall, looking a little jumpy if anyone cared to stare hard enough.

Completely uninterested in the naive cadet, Gabriel finished the conversation (rather abruptly if Efram had anything to say about it) and ushered him on his way, before stepping towards the Winchesters.

His heart swelled with love and pride at knowing how much Sam had given up for him and his face softened into one of a man who was wholesomely and utterly head over heels for his partner. The demon in front of him was willing to lose the people who had raised him from being a baby; the friends he had played with in his childhood; the only life he had ever known had been given up because he wanted to stay with Gabriel; a member of the species he had been at war with for so long, yet he had seen past all the hate and fighting and rumours, and looked upon Gabriel as a friend and then a lover, despite being forced into a mission that had initially pitted them against one another as enemies. 

He truly couldn't remember a time he had wanted someone so much as he wanted Sam now.

"Hey, Sam," murmured Gabriel, a warm smile lighting his face, and Sam seemed confused at first, so Gabriel glanced to the other demon.

"Dean," he greeted casually and the older demon nodded respectfully before making an excuse to leave.

Sam looked nervous as his eyes refused to meet Gabriel's gaze.

"Are you free now?" He asked finally, and Gabriel wanted to say _'yes'_. Wanted to tell the demon how much he loved him for what he had admitted to not ten minutes before, but he still had a job to do, and regardless of how his respect and affection for the Winchesters may have grown after what he'd just heard, there was no way he could reveal that he'd been listening in on their conversation.

It was sure to put a strain on their relationship even if Gabriel explained his feelings on the matter and it wasn't wise to let the brothers' slip become public. Then there would be trouble.

It was up to the Winchesters if and when they decided to tell the angels of Crowley's orders.

If they never released their secret, then no harm had been done anyway and Gabriel had kept worse things to himself.

If they did, then at least it would be on their own terms, when they had better thought through the consequences.

In the meantime, Gabriel would act ignorant.

"Michael sent me down to check on something, but I was just on my way back up when Efram caught me." 

Sam nodded, wings drooping a little in dismay. Gabriel's face softened as he attempted to hold back a smile and he placed a hand over Sam's arm in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

"I won't be long. A couple of hours at most. We can talk then?"

A tiny smile wormed its way onto Sam's face and Gabriel marvelled at how long it had been since he'd actually seen that expression on the younger Winchester. His uncharacteristic behaviour over the previous weeks had made it so Gabriel had almost forgotten what the demon looked like when his lips quirked upwards.

Although, at least the odd attitude now made sense to the archangel.

He itched to reach out and kiss his lover, to soothe all his guilt and worry away, but he couldn't do that just yet. It wouldn't have been what he'd have done if he knew nothing about the escapade in the Archives.

Instead, he nodded confidently and turned on his heel, making his way back to Michael's office.

He had to watch his step around his brothers and Sam from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone already guess that was going to happen? Hope you enjoyed this 'reveal' chapter :)


	19. Chapter 19

After the archangels had found out about Dean and Castiel's relationship, the pair had chosen not to be secretive about it, but they had also agreed not to flaunt it in public view either. However, it was only natural that some people found out about their affair and whilst a few were suspicious or even disgusted by their interactions, there were also some angels who would giggle and coo at the pair whenever they were together.

That's why the cadets found the demons' odd behaviour to be such a big talking point (not in the presence of said demons, mind you) and a couple outwardly admitted their concern for their teachers.

When Dean was spotted chatting casually with Castiel outside the training hall, wings fluttering contentedly as Cas smiled patiently back at him, the young cadets were, to say the least, rather excited.

If Dean had once again become affectionate with Cas, then that probably meant Sam and Gabriel were on speaking terms once more (even if that relationship was supposed to be a little more reserved in the face of the public, due to Gabriel's rank), which could only mean their training sessions would return to their natural state of work with a touch of light-heartedness, rather than all work and no play.

The cadets had been absolutely correct in their assumptions and a month later saw Dean and Sam teaching one of their classes, with Castiel and Balthazar lingering curiously by one of the far walls.

"So, as you already know, a demon's wings are much heavier and therefore, a lot less agile than an angel's. That means our manoeuvrability in flight is reduced when compared to you guys," began Sam, chocolate wings half stretched in demonstration as their students listened with rapt attention.

"Right, so that means certain areal tricks are off-limits for us; such as low nose-dives," explained Dean, catching the expressions of realisation on the two higher agents' faces on the other side of the room.

"That's why agent Collins and agent Milton are joining us today. They're going to show you a manoeuvre that's not only an evasive technique, but also a way to cause serious damage to your opponent if executed correctly."

A few cadets grinned enthusiastically at one another, wings twitching in silent conversation, before Dean's voice drew them back to the lesson.

"We'll show you what we mean in just a second, but keep in mind that in an actual fight, you would use this technique when your attacker least expects it. As Sam and I know what the outcome of this demonstration will be, we won't injure ourselves, but you'll get an idea of the end result."

Sam nodded. "The purpose of this exercise is to lead your opponent into a nose dive whilst they are chasing you. The trick is to pull up at a low altitude, so the demon would not be able to lift their denser wings in time to avoid a collision with the ground. The lower you fall, the better the end result, and the less likely it is they will be able to recover."

"Don't trust your own wings and pull up too early, and your opponent will have enough air-to-ground clearance to alter their course," stated Dean. "Pull up too late and you fall victim to your own trap."

The older demon glanced to his lover and motioned him over, unable to help the small smile making its way onto his face as Cas glanced at him with proud eyes.

"Sam and agent Collins will now demonstrate."

Sam offered the angel a friendly smile as he gestured towards a clear section of the hall and Cas nodded back before making his way over.

When the pair reached an empty strip of the hall, Cas spread his wings wide, stretching the kinks out of them (and Dean did not ogle them and think how lucky he was to be able to run his fingers through them every night), before taking a few short strides and launching into the air, Sam hot on his heels.

It was clear that Castiel was feeling playful because he didn't fall straight into the manoeuvre, instead letting Sam trail him for a bit, slowing down and speeding up to tease the younger man.

Sam's wings dwarfed the angel's; Cas' span seeming to reach less than three-quarters of the length of the demon's, but it was easy to see who would win in a race as there was practically no effort in the dips and thrusts on Cas' part.

Dean was just about to roll his eyes at the display and shout up to the pair to move it along when suddenly, Cas angled his body down sharply and at an impressive speed, plummeted towards the floor head-first.

Sam was quick to reciprocate and for a heart-stopping moment, it looked as though the two were about to crash into the hard wooden floor of the training hall and a few cadets gasped, eyes wide and throats dry as they wondered if the pair would ever pull up.

Just as it looked like Cas was making a one-way trip through the floor boards, he angled his wings again and barely skimmed the floor as he glided on a horizontal path approximately four inches from the ground.

Sam however, had no such luck and he fanned his wings wide and far as his feet hit the floor with a resounding thud and he stumbled a few steps before righting himself and turning to face the rest of the class.

He was breathing heavily, face flushed from exertion and Dean wanted to laugh at the way Cas gently fluttered to a halt beside him, landing softly with his hands clasped behind his back and eyes glinting with mischief.

"As you can see, demons aren't built for agility," said Dean as he motioned to his brother and he waited for the chuckles to die down as Sam held his hands up in defeat, attempting to catch his breath.

Cas patted his back in teasing and Sam huffed out a laugh along with their students.

"Okay, so we're going to go straight into it. Remember: safety first. If you're not too confident, it's better to pull up too soon rather than too late as we can improve your altitude, but not if you're sitting in a hospital bed," said Dean. "Who wants to go first?"

When no one jumped to the invitation, Constantine stepped forward, wings tucked in respectfully and head slightly bowed.

Dean grinned and gestured to the clear strip of hall.

"After you."

The angel smiled back and Dean caught Balthazar's knowing gaze. It seemed a few months could really change a person's perspective on their teachers, if Constantine's dramatic rehabilitation was anything to go by.

The younger angel took off, Dean giving him a chance to steady his nerves before joining him.

"When you're ready," he called and the angel nodded and continued to let Dean chase him for a moment before heading downwards, attempting to imitate Castiel's speed.

When it was clear the angel's lack of experience would make it so he wouldn't have enough time to angle his wings properly to recover from the dive, Dean swore and pulled his own wings to his back until he was free-falling and he managed to position himself by Constantine's side.

He noted the panic in the angel's eyes as he realised he'd made a mistake in diving too fast and falling too low when he wasn't used to the manoeuvre and Dean quickly yanked on his shoulder, pulling him horizontal and forcing him to fly ahead.

Unfortunately, Dean didn't have enough time to span his wings as far as he would have liked and the speed he hit the floor with made his teeth grate together as he stumbled a few paces and collapsed to his hands and knees.

When he next looked up, Sam and Cas were hovering worriedly over him as Balthazar checked Constantine over.

"You okay?" Asked Sam and Dean nodded with a heavy exhale. 

"Gonna be a little bruised tomorrow," he whispered and Cas frowned in concern as he extended a hand.

Sam turned to face the class. "Maybe now would be a good time to talk about air resistance."

Dean took the offered hand and Cas gently pulled him to his feet.

"Do I need to contact a Doctor? Raphael may be available," the angel asked and Dean shook his head with a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Cas. Don't worry about it. I've suffered far worse."

The angel didn't look convinced. "If you're certain."

Dean shot him a grin and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze.

"Accidents are bound to happen. That's why it's called _'training'_."

Cas frowned, his gaze flicking concernedly over Dean's body.

"If you change your mind about a healer..."

"You'll be the first to know. Thanks, Cas." And with that, the demon whirled on his heel and continued with the session (albeit a little sorely).

The next few attempts from the students flowed a lot more smoothly (having learned from their peer's mistake) and by the end of the lesson, a couple of students had really got to grips with the technique. Sam and Dean made sure to praise and encourage them, whilst Balthazar and Cas provided helpful pointers and tips on how to improve. 

Even Constantine had developed his dive considerably over the three hours.

It was their only class of the day and when it was over and their students had vacated the room, Sam was quick to pack up and head towards the door.

"Hey, where's the fire, Sammy?" Dean chuckled. "Hot date or something?" He winked, causing Sam to pull a face.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Charlie has asked me to meet her at the cinema for the new Star Trek movie."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Glad to see you've found someone to channel your inner nerd with."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Balthazar snorted as Cas rolled his eyes.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing that movie either," admitted Balthazar and Dean blinked in surprise as Sam's wings perked up.

"Wanna come with?" The younger Winchester asked. "Charlie won't mind."

Balthazar contemplated the offer for a moment before nodding.

"It's not as if these two will provide any entertainment," he said as he gestured towards Dean and Castiel, who had somehow gravitated towards each other since the end of class. 

Sam grinned lopsidedly before nodding towards the door and waiting for the smaller man to catch up. 

"May the force be with you and all that," mumbled Dean, startling when there were two unison shouts of _"Wrong film!"_

When the duo had vanished, Castiel glanced at the demon.

"You're certain you wouldn't like to see a Doctor? My brother would be more than happy to help."

Dean chuckled and tugged his angel closer, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips.

"I'm fine, darlin'. Stop worrying. If I look like I'm dying, then you can call Raph."

Cas shoved at Dean's chest.

"You're infuriating."

"And you're adorable when you're annoyed."

Castiel scowled, but it looked more like a pout in Dean's eyes and he couldn't help but kiss the expression away.

"I want to take you out," he murmured softly as the angel relaxed against him. "Somewhere nice, where we don't usually get a chance to go." He nuzzled Cas' cheek and the angel wrapped his arms around him.

"You don't have to do that for me. I'm quite content to just be with you."

Dean huffed and pressed his lips to short tufts of raven hair.

"It's not often we get half a day off together. Besides, you deserve to be treated." His memories cast back to the previous month and how his elusive behaviour had affected Cas. He had been trying to make it up to his lover ever since.

Cas frowned and pulled back slightly.

"Dean, I've already told you to stop feeling guilty. Why do you insist on trying to compensate for those weeks? You didn't do anything wrong."

Dean ducked his head and pressed his nose into the angel's neck.

"You forgive too easily." If he knew what Dean and his brother had almost done...

"And you are far too hard on yourself." Cas tangled his fingers in Dean's hair, guiding their lips together once more.

"I still want to take you out," mumbled Dean against his lover's mouth and Cas chuckled as they pulled apart.

"You're incredibly stubborn."

"I would've thought a free meal would appeal to you," pouted Dean and Cas cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you calling me cheap?"

"No. Just a mooch."

Cas' eyes widened in mock offence and he escaped Dean's grasp before moving towards the doors. He didn't get much of a chance to go anywhere though, because Dean had already wrapped his arms around him from behind.

"And where do you think you're going?" Growled Dean playfully as Cas melted against him.

The two basked in each other's presence for a few moments, sharing tender kisses and soft touches before Cas nuzzled Dean's cheek.

"I want to fly with you," he whispered and Dean's grace pulsed with excitement.

"Yeah?" They flew together all the time; short trips to work or to the shops, but it was difficult to find time to appreciate a long flight together, where they could just get lost in the sound of each other's wings, fresh air whipping around them as they danced around one another in the breeze; no one to bother them or ask questions. 

After Castiel's performance in training today, Dean had to admit he wouldn't mind a session alone with the angel, admiring those silky feathers fluttering in the wind as they chased one another around a quiet park or woods.

He tightened his grip around the angel's middle.

"When would you like to leave?"

Cas whirled to face his demon and before Dean got a chance to think, his lips were captured by another pair, a tongue slipping between them as it stroked at his own. The kiss was full of promise and Dean tugged the angel's body flush with his own as Castiel's hand moved to cup his cheek.

Addicted to the taste that was purely Cas, Dean chased his lips for another sneaky kiss when the angel tried to pull away. 

Second kiss over, the two didn't move too far away from one another as they relished in their shared embrace.

"Now," breathed Cas and when Dean opened his eyes, the angel was already at the door, feathers looking a little more displaced than usual and Dean grinned as the epiphany hit him.

Cas was turned on by their training session. 

Just to tease his lover a little more, Dean stretched his wings in a way that made Cas' gaze track their every move with a hunger that was seldom seen in the angel.

"When you're ready," drawled Dean and Cas shot him an almost predatory glance.

"Tease."

Dean winked. "Never thought you to be that type, darlin'."

The angel scowled and with a speed that made Dean blink, the angel had lifted into the air and launched towards the citadel's exit.

Dean was quick to follow.

They came to a secluded park area, seemingly empty of visitors and when Cas came to hover over it, Dean glided past him, trailing a hand through his feathers in a manner that had the angel gasping in surprise.

"You drove me crazy in that hall," purred Dean lowly as they landed. "You're quite the show off when you want to be."

Cas growled softly. "Watching you chase those other angels around made me want to join you. The way some of the cadets were watching you... Logically, I know it was mostly admiration of your skills, but I don't think my grace accepted that. I wanted to show everyone who you belonged to." He ducked his head in embarrassment. "When you performed that demonstration with Balthazar... I understand now why you were so possessive around him."

Dean chuckled. "He is rather flirty in everything he does." He tilted his head (Castiel's mannerisms were obviously rubbing off on him) and gazed at the angel with a playful smirk.

"You were jealous."

Cas' wings twitched.

"I was."

Dean hummed in amusement. "I never would've guessed you could get jealous over a simple training session. Maybe I should invite you more often."

Cas growled.

"I don't think I'd be able to restrain myself next time one of those cadets look at your wings. A couple of the girls were eying you like a piece of meat. I wouldn't like to be directed to Michael's office for 'unprovoked assault'."

Dean barked out a laugh. "I assure you, darlin', my wings belong to you and you alone." He paced over to his lover, curling the dark appendages around them both.

Cas immediately buried a hand in one of them, stroking through the feathers and ruffling them just because he could. Dean watched him for a second before reaching for one of Cas' wings and carefully shuffling a few displaced feathers back into order.

The angel sighed and rested his head against the demon's chest. 

"I've never felt this way for someone before," he admitted quietly and once again, Dean felt his grace try to leap at the angel's. Cas must have felt it too, for he shifted until he could feel Dean's body flush against his own.

"You don't know how happy that makes me feel," whispered Dean sincerely as he resumed stroking Cas' beautiful feathers.

Hearing Cas say something like that was enough to set Dean's heart alight with joy. He thought about how their relationship had started and how unwilling Cas was to trust him at the beginning, yet here the angel was, pressing closer into his arms and waxing poetical about how jealous he became when seeing Dean with other angels.

Heck, it had taken days to calm Cas down when Dean had admitted he loved him and now the angel was acting so forgiving and understanding despite Dean's poor treatment of him those few weeks ago.

"I never thought I'd be able to trust someone like this again after Alistair's betrayal, but once again, you proved me wrong. I'm sorry for ever doubting you."

Dean tightened his grip on the angel. "That was a long time ago."

He nuzzled Cas' cheek as his wings curled around the angel more securely, protectively.

"I love you," he murmured and Cas' own wings moved to wrap around them both, pristine white feathers merging with darker oak ones.

"I love you too," whispered Cas, tucking his head under Dean's.

They remained like that for a little while, locked in a tender embrace as their wings brushed over one another, focusing on the other's steady breaths and warm body.

"Ready to fly?" Dean muttered softly, unwilling to break the peace that had settled around them.

Cas smiled, eyes still closed, before pecking the demon on the cheek and slipping out of his grasp to shoot into the sky.

Grace soaring and grin wide, Dean soon chased after him and the park was plunged into darkness, only illuminated by the dim sparkle of stars in the distance when they finally returned home.

 

* * *

 

"I don't think I should come. I wouldn't like to impose and isn't this more of a private thing between you and your family?" Asked Sam and Gabriel snorted before turning to his lover.

"You _are_ family, Sam. My brothers care for you a great deal and I know you care for them. They'd be happy to have you join us."

Sam lowered his gaze. Every time Gabriel dropped a comment like that, Sam would feel more and more guilty about not admitting his original mission in angel territory. 

Gabriel was so open, so completely trusting of him despite what he'd put him through just over a month ago, and Sam felt like he was somehow taking advantage of the archangel the longer he went without revealing his past. 

At the same time he was terrified of losing Gabe if he told him the truth. Even if Sam had truly defected, the fact remained that he had lied to all the angels in the first place and the thought that Gabriel was very likely to reject him after that struck fear into his grace.

He didn't want to lose his new family.

Still, as Gabriel smiled at him, eyes playful yet warm, Sam began to wonder how long he could continue lying to his lover.

"If you're sure..." murmured Sam and Gabriel's grin lit the room.

He grabbed Sam's hand gently and tugged him towards the doors, shaking his wings out from their cramped position from sitting in an office all day and Sam couldn't help but trace a hand through the nearest golden appendage.

Gabriel paused and let Sam straighten out some of the wayward feathers and he offered him a grateful smile before heading towards the exit once more.

Sam admired his angel's wings for a few more moments, his own feathers puffing out slightly in pride as he mused about how he was the only one who got to touch those gorgeous wings so intimately, before he was jogging to catch up with the amused archangel.

When he reached him, Gabriel's eyes darted to something behind him, a tiny quirk to his lips before returning his pointed gaze to Sam.

The younger Winchester frowned in confusion and swivelled to find the source of Gabriel's amusement.

He moved his focus back to Gabriel, a sheepish expression resting on his face the moment he'd caught the two young, female cadets smirking and whispering about them both.

"You weren't ogling my backside by any chance, were you?" Gabriel muttered and Sam's face grew even redder.

"Your wings..." he admitted embarrassedly and Gabe chuckled warmly.

Suddenly, he turned to the girls and wrapped a wing around Sam possessively.

"Write as much fanfiction as you want, ladies; just don't let us see any of it."

The girls' eyes widened and they started to giggle before scurrying off.

Sam huffed exasperatedly.

"What happened to keeping the relationship a low profile?"

Gabe shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with showing you off now and then." His gaze softened. "If I wasn't co-leader of a very large army, I would be flaunting you at every opportunity. As it stands, I have to look at least a little professional in front of the lower ranks. 

"Sometimes though, it's good to show people that we're not robots; we have feelings, we make mistakes and we know that life isn't just about this everlasting war. I have you to keep me grounded, and I want everyone to know that, even if I can't show it as much as I'd like."

Sam smiled, grace bursting with affection, and tugged his archangel into his arms, holding him for a few moments as Gabriel hugged back.

"Do your brothers know how much of a sap you are behind all that snark?"

Gabriel barked out a laugh and shoved at Sam's chest before turning on his heel.

"And on that note, let's go. I'm sure my brothers are beginning to wonder what's keeping us."

Sam grinned, grace fluttering as they left the citadel and took to the air.

As soon as their feet touched the forest floor, Lucifer glanced at them.

"We were starting to believe you'd got lost," he drawled.

"Sam took some convincing," replied Gabriel without missing a beat and Sam shot him a dirty glare. 

Right. Nothing to do with the fact that Gabriel liked to sprout declarations of love at random intervals.

"You scared we'll out-fly you or something, Winchester?" Smirked Lucifer, bronze wings stretching lazily.

Sam snorted cockily. "Please; you probably haven't felt fresh air since settling into that cosy office of yours. I'd be surprised if you knew how to fly any more."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow as Michael and Raphael shared an amused glance.

Gabriel chuckled quietly. "We'll see, kiddo."

Suddenly Michael shook out his wings, the silvery feathers glinting regally under the soft moonlight.

"Shall we?" He asked with a small smile and Sam experienced an intense feeling of 'home'. 

His wings fluttered gently, contentedly and the movement didn't go unnoticed by any of the archangels. He felt Gabriel's hand slide around the small of his back and when he caught the youngest archangel's gaze, he was met with golden eyes filled with love and pride and Sam couldn't help but brush a wing across Gabriel's smaller ones.

He thought he caught knowing smiles on the other archangels' faces, but when he turned to face them, the expressions had vanished.

After a few moments, the five took to the air and the pace started out slow; the brothers gliding low between trees, curving and dipping lightly with Sam trailing behind leisurely.

After a little while, Gabriel dropped back, coming in line with Sam.

"You're quiet," he murmured and Sam glanced over at him.

"I don't want to interfere. Like I said before; this seems like a private thing between you guys."

Gabriel pulled a face. "I wouldn't have invited you if I'd have though you were imposing." He smirked. "Besides, I thought you said you could out-fly us."

Sam shook his head. "I never said anything of the sort," he teased. 

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

Sam chuckled. "I wouldn't like to show you up."

Gabriel laughed. "You are incredibly cocky today!"

"If you've got it..."

"Then why don't you prove it, Agent?" Grinned Gabe with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Sam smirked and suddenly launched ahead of his lover, twisting and rolling between trees and bushes, tips of maple feathers barely skimming the colourful leaves and blossoms.

Gabriel let out a delighted laugh and soon joined him, darting in front of his brothers and looping over and under them once in invitation.

Grinning, Lucifer quickly followed suit, chasing after his younger brother before turning sharply and gliding over Sam.

The demon plunged towards the forest floor in a move considered difficult for his species and Lucifer raised an appreciative eyebrow before joining him and performing a nose dive impossible for Sam to imitate.

The demon snorted as the archangel pulled up beside him and before Lucifer got a chance to make a sarcastic remark, Sam veered off at an impressive speed, even by angel standards, and soared between a stretch of tightly spaced tree trunks and projected himself upwards until he broke clear of the canopy.

He paused however, when he realised his surroundings. The view was incredible; a thick forest stretched for miles and miles, with birds and small mammals chirping and squeaking quietly in the background. A peaceful rhythm of gushing water made it to Sam's ears from a small stream winding around a variety of colourful plants and shrubs, and Sam mused how he had never been able to relax and enjoy the world around him when he was working under Crowley.

Being under the archangels' command made him realise that war didn't have to be the extent of his life.

He was taken off guard when something shoved at his back, causing his wingbeats to stutter and his body to plummet towards the floor.

He blinked in surprise but when he heard a familiar chuckle, he grinned and rolled onto his back as he pulled himself horizontal, and he waved cheekily at Gabriel, who laughed exasperatedly at Sam's trick.

"Alright, alright, we get it; you're good," snorted Gabe.

"But not as good as us," growled a voice impossibly close to his ear and he glanced beneath him to find Lucifer gliding expertly underneath him, wings beating perfectly in time with Sam's own as he flew close enough to see every single freckle on the back of Sam's neck.

Sam startled and Lucifer ruffled the younger man's hair before whizzing past and the demon watched him for a second, jumping once more when a pair of lips brushed over his own.

His gaze flicked back up to find Gabriel winking at him, mere inches from his face as he too, matched the movement of Sam's wings and flew directly above him.

The archangel grinned and as they glided face-to-face, he pressed his lips to Sam's once more.

Sam closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on Gabriel's soft lips; the gentle brush of lighter wings against his own; the faint, soothing aura of a grace much more fluid and brighter than his own surrounding him, making him feel loved and protected.

So busy was he enjoying Gabriel's body so near to his, he barely registered his lover's murmur.

_"Tree."_

And just as suddenly as he'd entered Sam's space, the archangel had veered sharply upwards and left Sam heading on a collision-course for a thick-trunked oak tree.

Still gliding on his back, Sam let his head fall back and his eyes widened at how close his face was to smashing into a particularly hard-looking section of bark.

_"Oof."_

His wings flapped wildly as something ploughed into his side and he took a few seconds to right himself before glancing around to find Michael smirking at him.

Sam blinked in surprise as he realised the archangel had just saved him from a nasty collision.

"...Thanks," he said sheepishly and as the silver-winged angel cracked a grin, Lucifer and Gabriel cackled from a little further up the canopy.

"Not so cocky now!" Snorted Gabriel and Sam lowered his head, though a tiny smile still made its way onto his face.

"Told you we could outfly you any day," stated Lucifer and Sam's cheeks heated up.

Raphael, ever the mature one to keep his brothers' egos in line, huffed warningly.

"I don't care who can fly better than who, but if I have to patch even one of you up because of some infantile stunt, I'll clip your wings together and ground you all for a month at least."

The smirks fell right off Lucifer and Gabriel's faces; having once (or four times) already suffered through the exact same punishment.

"We'll be good," chuckled Michael, holding a hand up in surrender and Raphael snorted sceptically. 

"You're no better than them," he said, gesturing to the pouting Lucifer and Gabriel behind, and Michael gasped in mock-hurt.

"The only one of you who ever behaves when he is told to is Castiel, and even that youngling is starting to grow more mischievous the longer he spends with a certain Winchester."

Sam snickered and Raphael's gaze darted to him. 

"Gabriel's a bad enough influence on you; I don't need you to start imitating your brother's antics."

"Don't let him pick on you, Sam. Raph's just grumpy because he didn't have any whisky to tip into his coffee this morning. Sets his mood for the rest of the day," teased Lucifer and the sapphire-winged angel scowled at his brother.

"Actually, it's brandy," he muttered. "And I only have one on weekends."

"Maybe you should increase your intake, brother. It might make you more amiable," hummed Michael and Raphael narrowed his eyes at the older archangel, before launching towards him.

Michael grinned and shot off between the trees, Lucifer whooping as he trailed after them.

The youngest archangel held back, looking over to Sam.

"You coming?" He asked softly and Sam smiled, grace expanding at the realisation that the four most respected angels in all of the armed forces trusted him enough to act so playful around him. He couldn't believe that the leaders were willing to accept him into their family so easily, despite knowing who he was and what he'd done in his past to their people.

For them to forgive him like that... he began to wonder how long he'd be able to keep his secret hidden. How could he lie to these angels? His family?

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," whispered Sam, coming to hover beside Gabriel and his lover beamed as they sped after the others.


	20. Chapter 20

Castiel relaxed as Dean slipped an arm around his waist. He always felt at ease when the demon was near. 

Cas had needed to do some food shopping and Dean had decided to make a whole day of wandering around town. It was a Saturday, an entire ten weeks after Dean's odd behaviour had ceased, and the couple had never been closer.

Dean still hadn't revealed the reason for his uncharacteristic couple of weeks but Cas refused to push him; he had faith his lover would tell him if whatever it was continued to prove a problem.

"Didn't you say you wanted some new pillow cases?" Hummed Dean contentedly, wing curling around Cas' back.

The angel couldn't help but smile at the domesticity of it all. He snuggled further into the demon as they walked, his own arm resting on Dean's hip as they browsed the windows of various shops.

"Filthy animal."

Dean's pace faltered and Cas scowled at the angelic couple who cut in front of them.

Castiel opened his mouth to rebuff the man who had dared insult his lover, but Dean tightened his grip around his waist.

"It's not worth it," he whispered, eyes downcast.

Cas' frown deepened but he respected Dean's wishes and they allowed the couple to continue ahead of them before walking on.

It wasn't uncommon for Dean or Sam to receive a muttered comment or a harsh insult under a hushed breath. It irked Cas that even after proving their loyalty to angels and despite training the cadets to the best of their ability, both demons were still treated like vile creatures to be sneered at and mocked by certain individuals.

The brothers should have had at least some form of respect from the angels, but it seemed that not all people were so willing to forgive and forget, and unfortunately Sam and Dean's status as high-ranking agents back in demon territory did nothing to alleviate the situation.

For some civilians, it didn't matter how helpful and how devoted to the angels the brothers were, they would always be labelled as untrustworthy; a threat to society.

Cas glared at the offending angel's retreating back, gaze softening when he took in Dean's huddled posture, attempting to make himself look smaller than he really was and when the demon's arm released his waist, Cas' wings tensed in silent fury.

He gripped Dean's arm and dragged him down a darkened side alley, and when the demon opened his mouth to protest, expression a myriad of confusion, Cas cut him off by smashing their lips together.

"You are worth it," he mouthed against Dean's lips and the the demon melted against him as he tugged the angel closer.

"They have every right- "

" _They have no right,_ " growled Cas firmly. "You are a living person just like they are and you have done more for them than they will ever understand."

He nuzzled Dean's neck possessively.

"Don't ever let them make you believe they are better than you in any way." He placed a sweet kiss to Dean's shoulder.

"You helped me to enjoy life again; you gave me something to make me move on when I thought I couldn't. I'd still be viewing the world from an empty apartment, alone and detached from society if it wasn't for you. So don't for one moment believe you aren't wanted or welcome here."

Cas closed his eyes, resting his forehead against his demon's shoulder contentedly.

"I can't imagine living without you."

A pair of arms wound tightly around him and two heavy wings embraced him protectively as Dean nosed at his cheek.

No words were spoken, but Cas heard them anyway and he squeezed his lover tighter as they shared another tender kiss.

"Cas, I..." Dean trailed off and Castiel raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"...Nothing. It doesn't matter." The demon shook his head and his lover was about to question him when he changed his mind, thinking better of it.

"If you're certain," he said instead. Then he frowned. "Please don't dwell on their words. They don't deserve your time."

Dean finally cracked a small smile. "You are far too good for me."

Cas chuckled. "Hardly."

Dean's expression dimmed slightly.

"It's just... I don't want you to lose respect from the public. You do so much for your people and I don't want other angels looking down on you because I'm by your side. You've worked so hard to get where you are and you've been through so much... I wouldn't like people to belittle you because of me."

Cas pulled a face. "I don't care for the respect of those who respect neither you nor Sam. Their opinions don't matter to me. My family is more important to me." He cupped Dean's cheek affectionately.

Dean's eyes widened fractionally and he glanced away. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it again. Cas tilted his head questioningly, but Dean didn't offer an explanation.

"Come on," said Cas eventually, frowning slightly when the demon wouldn't quite meet his gaze. "I've still got a few things to find."

Before the angel could turn on his heel, a hand wrapped around his wrist and tugged him back, and a pair of lips crashed into his.

"You are the best choice I ever made," murmured Dean and Cas' grace backflipped in his chest.

When they broke apart, Dean was gazing at him as though he'd pulled the stars down from the sky for him, but there was also an air of melancholy about the look and Cas kissed the expression away.

"And you are the best demon I ever kissed," teased Cas, grinning when Dean let out a low growl. He preferred playful Dean to self-loathing Dean.

"I better be."

"Although, Alistair did do that thing with his tongue..."

Dean cuffed him over the head with a wing.

"Thought you wanted some pillow cases," he huffed grumpily and Cas laughed as he dragged the demon back out of the alley and into the hustle and bustle of town.

 

* * *

 

"I can't believe Cersei actually got the throne!"

"Jamie looked like he wanted to throw up."

"Wouldn't you? His son commits suicide and his evil, demented sister who wants to murder every living thing in the kingdom blows a whole town up to take control of said kingdom. I'd be pretty terrified as well."

"I suppose... It's definitely put me in the mood for cake though."

Sam laughed. "Murder and treason make you want cake?"

Gabriel grinned and bounced to his feet.

"Don't pretend a slice of Angel cake doesn't appeal to you."

"No Demon's food cake?" Sam teased and Gabriel shook his head.

"Some people are never happy."

"Gotta be PC."

"With cake? Now you're just being difficult."

"Is there actual cake on offer?"

Gabriel threw his head back and let out a warm laugh and Sam shrugged, still smiling.

"'S not my fault your cakes are addictive."

Gabe grinned lopsidedly. "Thought you were above sweet stuff? Isn't salad the only way for you?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "I can make exceptions when I want to."

Gabriel pecked the demon on the cheek. "I'm honoured."

He pulled his younger lover to his feet and they sauntered into the kitchen, wings curled around one another lovingly.

When the angel leaned over to uncover one of his latest creations, he felt a pair of arms slide around his middle as a nose buried itself into his neck.

Gabriel relaxed into the hold, wings shifting slightly to accommodate the new position. He interlaced his fingers with Sam's and they stood like that for a few moments, basking in each other's presence. Then something in the atmosphere changed and although Gabriel wasn't sure what it was, he knew the air between him and his lover was different.

When Sam didn't release him, Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"You okay, Kiddo?" He asked softly and when he received no reply, he turned to face his lover.

"Sam?" He tried once more, a concerned frown beginning to creep across his features. The demon looked conflicted; lost in his own thoughts, and Gabriel wanted to soothe the expression away in any way he could.

When Sam didn't look at him after his second try, Gabriel began to worry. He cupped the younger man's cheek and stroked a thumb over the smooth skin there.

"Is everything alright?" He asked again and this time, he caught Sam's attention.

The demon looked frightened.

"Gabe, I..." He trailed off and the angel felt his grace pulse in alarm. He'd never seen Sam look so panicked before.

"It's okay, Sam; you can tell me," encouraged the archangel and Sam glanced away for a moment, wings sliding off Gabriel in favour of plastering themselves to the demon's back, low and troubled.

"I... I have something to tell you," he murmured weakly and Gabriel frowned, confused. What great truth could have made the demon so flighty?

"Okay?"

Sam gulped. "You may... you may want to sit down."

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow but did as instructed. What was going on?

He scowled when Sam made certain to take the seat farthest away from him, body slightly huddled in on itself as if wary of the archangel. Gabriel hated the implication that Sam was scared of him.

"What's all this about, Kiddo?" 

Sam glanced up at him and Gabriel recoiled at the pitch black eyes. The demon must have been utterly shaken to have his eyes revert like that.

"Before I tell you this, I just want you to know how much I truly love you. I promise I would never hurt you and if you despise me after the next few minutes, I'll understand and I won't fight you or attempt to trick you into feeling sorry for me. I want you to make your own judgement and if that means handing me over to Naomi or any other interrogator when I'm done, then so be it. But you deserve to know the truth."

Gabriel blinked, blood turning to ice at the ominous introduction and he began to panic at the thought that whatever Sam was hiding was going to be so dark, so hideous that Gabriel would have no choice but to sentence him to a life of imprisonment.

And that would break him after everything they'd been through together. 

He almost asked Sam to stop, to keep whatever secret it was to himself, but he knew that he couldn't do that; to his brothers, or the civilians he protected and he steeled himself up for a soul-shattering reveal.

Then he remembered.

And suddenly, he had to stop his heart from melting.

"The reason I was acting so odd all those weeks ago was because... because I was sent a letter from Crowley telling me to break into the Archives."

Sam wouldn't meet his gaze and Gabriel was glad for it. He didn't want Sam to see how he was fighting to keep a fond smile off his face and how he was struggling to school his features into an expression of blank neutrality. He wouldn't pretend the news was a shock to him, but he didn't want to interrupt the demon when he knew Sam needed to get this off his chest.

"Dean and I... we... we're not what you think we are. We weren't seeking amnesty when we first arrived... We were sent on a mission by our superiors to gain your trust and infiltrate your base in order to obtain incriminating information from your Archives. 

"Except... we didn't expect you to be the way you are. We thought you were going to be cold and detached from everyone and everything; like our superiors. We never dreamed you would act like a family; never imagined you would actually care for those under your charge. We thought they were just another job to you. We didn't think you were being sincere when you mourned those who fell for your cause; we thought it was all a show."

Sam's head bowed lower in shame and Gabriel wanted nothing more than to gather the younger man into his arms and soothe his worries. Still, Sam needed to admit this to not only Gabriel, but himself as well.

"We never expected to fall in love with the exact people we were trained to kill."

Gabriel forced his wings to remain still; they were itching to flutter at Sam's words, yet the demon didn't seem to notice.

"You're so different from what we were led to believe. You took us in as family despite having so many reasons not to; we've killed multiple agents and civilians, yet you protected us when you thought we were vulnerable, and we betrayed your trust."

Sam's wings were quivering in distress and Gabriel almost moved to comfort him. 

"We lied to you and at first, we used you to get what we wanted... but then... but then something changed and... you were... you were just people. A group of highly respected leaders who just wanted what was best for their people. And that's amazing because our leaders would never care as much as you do. We never had that on the other side of the border."

Sam shook his head, eyes still dark.

"You were my enemy and you showed more concern for my dead fiancé than my own boss."

A suspicious droplet of water dripped into Sam's lap and Gabriel shifted forwards fractionally.

"I'm so sorry, Gabriel," whispered Sam brokenly. "I'm so, so sorry. I should have told you sooner but I was frightened of losing you. I never thought I'd be able to love anyone so deeply after Jess, but you're so kind and fun and intelligent, and I... I couldn't bear the thought of letting you slip away."

The demon choked back a sob.

"I see now I was being selfish. I let your reputation suffer because I wanted to keep you to myself, and you trusted me; believed I was on the run from my own people for information that didn't even exist..." 

His wings were shaking violently now and Gabriel was balancing on the edge of his seat, desperate to reach out to his lover, but knowing the demon wasn't finished.

"A couple of months ago, Dean and I broke into the Archives. We were on the verge of stealing some of your files to give to our superiors, but we found that we couldn't. We couldn't hurt you after all you and your brothers have done for us."

A few more tears leaked from behind Sam's eyelashes and his voice reduced to a whisper.

"I'd die for you, Gabe. I'd die to protect you even if you don't care for me anymore."

The demon's voice faded at the end of his admission and when a few sounds of despair escaped Sam's throat, Gabriel was immediately by his side, tugging him into his arms and wrapping golden wings around him comfortingly.

"Hey, shh. It's okay, Sam. I know. I know."

The demon sniffled as he buried his face into Gabriel's neck, but at the archangel's calm words, he lifted his head.

"What do you mean: _'You know'?_ "

Gabriel pulled away slightly, a sheepish expression marring his features.

"I didn't at first, but when you were in the Archives, an alarm was set off in Michael's office and I was sent down to check the door. 

"When I saw you, I thought you truly were betraying us and I was devastated. I thought..." He trailed off as he remembered how he'd reached for his gun and when Sam tilted his head, eyes red-rimmed, Gabriel's expression was pained.

"I thought I'd have to kill you." He shook his head to clear the horrific thought from his mind, yet Sam merely glanced down in understanding; almost as if he still expected the archangel to pull a gun on him.

"Then I heard you talking to your brother. Heard all the things you said about how much you trusted us and how you couldn't hurt us."

He cracked a tiny smile. "You don't know how much of a relief that was."

Sam blinked as realisation crept into his gaze and his eyes slowly faded back into their natural hazel.

"You were there the entire time?"

"Behind the bookcase in front of the entrance," confirmed Gabriel, before looking down embarrassedly.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop as long as I did, but you see why I had to make sure of your intentions."

But Sam wasn't concerned by that; in fact, his thoughts had taken a completely different turn.

"You knew all this time, yet... yet you never left," Sam whispered to himself and Gabriel's gaze softened.

"Of course I never left, Kiddo. Do you honestly think after everything you've done for me and my brothers, I'd turn my back on you? I get it. At first your intentions weren't exactly sincere, but to be honest, I didn't trust you either, even when I was obliged to because of your plea for amnesty.

"When things... heated up between us and you began to open up a lot more around me, I began to trust you more. Then you started caring for my brothers as well - and you don't know how many people struggle to get along with Lucifer - and you were just too good to be true.

"What I'm trying to say is... you trained our cadets, you helped us catch a rogue who was working for your side and you gave us valuable information when we needed it most; you can't fake that. That's why I had such a hard time believing you were stealing from us in the Archives. 

"I knew what you felt for all of us was real because you've proven it on so many occasions. So of course I never left; I'd have been a fool to even consider giving you up."

Sam's eyes widened before he was wrapping his arms around Gabriel and burying his face into his neck, where a few cool tears rolled down his cheeks and onto Gabriel's skin.

The archangel quickly pulled Sam closer.

"I love you, Sam. I don't care if you were originally a spy. You gave up everything you've ever known to protect me and my family. You defied orders for us; how could I reject you after that?"

Sam whimpered softly and hugged his lover tighter, relief evident in his shuddering breaths.

After a few moments where they simply held one another, Sam's head shifted.

"Do your brothers know?" He asked quietly, nuzzling Gabriel's jaw and the archangel had the grace to look vaguely guilty.

Sam pulled back with a frown at the long pause. 

"You haven't told them?"

Gabriel averted his gaze, wings drooping a little and Sam pulled a face.

"You shouldn't hide this from them. You need to tell them; they have a right to know."

Gabriel's wings twitched nervously.

"I know and maybe it's a little selfish of me, but... I'm worried you'll be taken away from me and I don't want them thinking the wrong thing about you when they weren't there in the Archives to hear what was said."

Sam frowned. "You don't trust your own brothers? Gabriel, this could get you into a lot of trouble."

The archangel winced. He'd been putting off telling his brothers for a while; hadn't wanted to think too hard about it. He'd just told himself he would wait for Sam to admit his mission first and go about telling his brothers from there, but now the time had actually come, he was reluctant to seek his brothers out.

He was well aware of the repercussions if Michael found out about his deceitfulness.

"No, I do trust them, it's just..." He wracked his brain for a good excuse. "Wouldn't it be wiser to let Dean come clean to Cas first? I wouldn't like little brother to find out about you two through second-hand information. He's already been burned once; I don't want him to think Dean is intentionally keeping secrets from him or is still undercover as a plant when that's so far from the truth."

Sam didn't look convinced.

"What makes you so sure Dean'll even tell Cas?"

Gabe smiled fondly.

"Because you told me."

Sam looked ready to protest but decided against it.

"If you say so," he settled on, then his expression turned bashful. "Thank you, Gabe. I thought..." He trailed off and the archangel squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"I'll never turn you away. I'd never put you at risk."

Sam shot him a watery smile, wings fluttering slightly in gratitude and Gabriel's responded in kind.

"I'd never let anything hurt you either," said Sam quietly.

A comfortable silence fell between them, the previous tension having drained away at their close proximity to one another. Then Gabriel smirked slyly.

"Getting a little rusty with the ol' espionage skills, Sammy."

There was a pause in which Sam's eyes widened in surprise, before he snorted exasperatedly.

"Seriously?"

"How in the world did you two get chosen as spies? You really suck at it," stated the angel matter-of-factly and Sam huffed out a laugh.

"You didn't know we were plants for two years!"

"Maybe so, but if I were a plant, I wouldn't go around leaving my boss' private letters to me down the back of my enemy's bed."

Sam's mouth formed a little 'o' shape in realisation and his cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

"You're not my enemy," he muttered petulantly when he could find no other comeback and Gabriel barked out a laugh.

"I wouldn't go about falling for my enemy either; but that just further reinforces how bad of a spy you are," he teased and Sam glanced away, but there was a small smile lighting his face.

"We can't all be as perfect as you."

"Aww. You're too kind, babe."

"Shut up."

"I even had to turn the Archive alarm off for you. I mean, come on; I did half your job for you and you still couldn't finish it properly!"

"...I thought I'd taken care of all the alarms."

"How lax do you think our security is?"

"Actually, I thought it was pretty tight."

"Then you really need some practice. Though I do wonder how you crept past our CCTV."

"Footage loop."

"...Loop?"

"You didn't notice?"

"Apparently not."

Sam chuckled. "Not as rusty as you thought."

Gabriel shook his head with a grin. "It seems we still have a lot to learn from you two. And maybe you could learn a trick or three from us?"

Sam smirked. "Thought trading secrets with the enemy was forbidden?"

"So's sleeping with the enemy, but I've never cared much for that rule either."

The two grinned at each other for a few moments before Sam gently brushed a wing against Gabriel's, stronger brown feathers merging with softer golden ones.

"I'm so sorry," the demon admitted quietly. "I still can't believe you're being so understanding about this. You should be punishing me not cracking jokes about it all."

Gabriel shook his head. "I thought we'd passed all that. You chose us over your friends, your family, your job; why should I punish you? I should be giving you a commendation!"

Sam chuckled. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"You want me to go through them again?"

"It's rhetorical."

Gabriel snickered and pulled his lover closer, where Sam immediately relaxed into the archangel's chest, graces trying to shimmy as near as possible to one another.

"...This brings a whole knew meaning to fraternising with the enemy."

"Shut up, Gabe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for plot!
> 
> Next chapter's got a big scene in it, so I hope you enjoyed the lead up to it :) Tell me what you think so far!


	21. Chapter 21

Something was different between Sam and Gabriel. It had started approximately three weeks ago and Dean couldn't fathom what had caused it, but the pair seemed to be inexplicably closer; more trusting of one another (if that were even possible).

There was just a spark between them that hadn't been there before and although Dean was happy for his little brother (especially after all he'd lost after Jess' premature death), he had to wonder at what had started whatever was between them.

Still, it wasn't his place to pry.

He had other concerns. Like how he should approach Cas with the tiny matter that he and his brother were actually spies and had technically been working for demon forces up until a few months ago. 

He had originally convinced himself that never telling the angel was the best course of action; after all, he had made his choice a while ago, but the longer the secret continued on unspoken, the more guilty Dean became. Especially when Cas was so open around him, so loyal.

The knowledge of what Dean was hiding may break that and the demon didn't think he'd be able to cope without the angel in his life. Not after how far they'd come.

He'd probably deserve it, mind you, for all those he'd interrogated, tortured, murdered.

...His history wasn't a great one.

Yet Cas had seen past all that; had known what Dean was and what he'd done and despite all that, had still found it in his broken heart to love him.

It almost made him believe Cas wouldn't hate him if he revealed his secret.

He didn't want to tell him; didn't want to lose all he'd gained, all the friendships he'd created over on this side of the border, but the more he thought about not saying anything, the more ashamed he felt at being a coward.

He'd put it off this long; time to pull his pants up.

"Are you alright, Dean? You're awfully quiet." Cas' voice snapped him out of his musings and Dean once again felt the familiar stab of guilt that always accompanied the moment he was caught thinking about his previous alliance with corrupt demon forces.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Dean as they flew over the children's park they usually passed on their way home from the Citadel. He glanced at the young, innocent angels laughing and chasing each other around the swing set.

"Cas, I have something to tell you. I'm not- "

Suddenly, there was a horrific scream somewhere in the distance, followed by the sound of gunfire and a deafening explosion resonated from some nearby residences, and Castiel and Dean froze in midair, hearts racing as a large cloud of smoke blossomed a short distance away.

Dean's blood turned to ice in his veins as a silhouetted figure with dark wings cut through the smoke, shouting in victory as a few angels staggered out of the cloud, choking and holding injured body parts.

There was another explosion somewhere behind them and when the pair turned, two more dark-winged figures shot into the sky, trailed by an even larger burst of smoke and more desperate screaming.

When Dean looked down to the park below, all the children had fled, mothers and fathers close by with wings wrapped protectively around their young, faces panicked and confused as their children cried and whimpered.

Dean felt an unusual sense of protectiveness pulse within his grace as he took in the scene of frightened angels and he glanced to Cas, whose eyes were glowing a worried blue.

"What's going on?" The angel shouted over the noise of artillery fire and Dean shook his head, in just as much shock as everyone else.

A teenager with ivory wings took to the sky, obviously with the intent of reaching his family, but when his path crossed Dean's position, he paused, eyes wide and fearful and glowing a bright green as he took in the demon's large, powerful wings.

Dean blinked, surprised at the teen's terror, before he put two and two together and held his hands up placatingly.

"Go home, kid. Warn your family and stay out of the city centre," he said as Castiel came to hover by his side.

The teen gulped, but upon spotting the familiar form of Castiel, nodded shakily and raced into the outskirts of the city.

When Dean next turned to his lover, the angel was in special agent mode; eyes back to their natural colour and expression determined.

A blood-curdling scream sliced through the atmosphere, eerily silenced by a few rounds of gunfire, and Dean felt a growl bubble low in his throat.

These were innocent people; they hadn't done anything to harm demon society yet they were being brutally slaughtered merely because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Castiel caught his gaze and in that second they both had the same thought. They sped back towards the citadel, minds set on finding the archangels, but before they could land, a commotion at the borderline between angel and demon territory caught their eyes in the horizon and the pair changed course.

By the time they arrived, a large army had gathered on both sides and soldiers, agents and leaders alike were snarling and cursing at each other, wings puffed out intimidatingly as eyes glowed or shifted to black and at the centre of it all, Michael and Crowley stood, representing their respective peoples.

The archangel was scowling at his demonic counterpart, wings hitched high in outrage and what Dean thought to be confusion. Yet Crowley smirked lazily at him, ruby wings relaxed and pulled to his back formally.

"What is the meaning of this?" Michael bellowed when there was a lull in the growls and taunts and Crowley merely raised an amused eyebrow as a few demons snickered in the background.

"What does it look like, darling?" Chuckled Crowley and a few angels flared their wings at his disrespectfulness. "This is the beginning of a new age; a new era for our people."

Michael narrowed a glare at him. "And you begin it by murdering innocents? You are nothing but a coward."

Dean's view of his ex-boss was obscured by the multitude of angels in front of him, but from his position, he could vaguely see the other demon shake his head with that same infuriatingly smug smile as the demons below him jeered and mocked the angels' leader.

Dean scanned the field, searching for the other archangels. They were scattered around, supporting the ranks lower than them, just as their top agents were dispersed throughout the crowd, standing beside those less experienced than themselves.

It was more like a team than the demon army. They were laid out like a chess board, with their _'expendables'_ at the front and their highly trained agents lurking behind, out of sight, but not out of mind. A few of the top agents stood directly behind Crowley, like bodyguards protecting him from any wayward weaponry, ready to give their life for a leader who never thanked them.

Dean scowled. At one time, that would have been his and his brother's place.

"Simply a method of gaining your attention, dear," drawled Crowley and Michael's knuckles grew white.

"The slaughter of children is more than attention-seeking."

A wicked gleam sparkled in Crowley's eyes.

"Who am I to stop my soldiers from having fun?"

There was a collective shout of fury from a few angels and as a few more strong-headed soldiers leapt towards the red-winged demon, Lucifer jumped ahead of them, fanning his wings wide in silent reprimand.

No use in throwing lives away needlessly, thought Dean.

Michael never took his eyes off the other leader, but it was obvious he was struggling to hold back his own ire as his irises began to glow dimly.

Crowley only grinned wider.

"Why now?" Asked Michael. "What opportunity has arisen that you believe you will succeed where you and those before you have failed previously?"

"You haven't figured it out?" Mocked Crowley and Michael frowned. The demon saw this and chuckled.

"Not the brightest button in the box, are you? How is your book keeper? I haven't heard from him in a while. Still looking after your Archives?"

Michael's eyes widened in realisation and his and a few other high-ranking angels' wings twitched warily.

"Some very interesting things written in those files," purred Crowley, heavy wings swishing as though everything was working in his favour. "Things I'm sure your people wouldn't be too happy to hear about."

Dean saw the briefest flicker of panic in Michael's eyes, but the archangel covered it well.

Still, his silence was enough to make some lower ranks frown in confusion.

Crowley shot them a dazzling smile.

"With such corruptness amongst your government and leaders, why should your people trust you to protect them? In fact, I have records to show you have done just the opposite in the past. Shame on you," he mocked and a few top agents shifted uncomfortably as curious eyes turned to them.

"Why the sudden attack?" Demanded Lucifer a little distance away from his brother. "You have the files, why risk your life in combat?"

"To prove a point," replied Crowley with that same irritatingly pompous smile. "Angelic society has become complacent. They have forgotten we are still at war and we want to prove just why this self-assured attitude is a poor quality to possess.

"After we devastate your lands and businesses, morale will be at an all-time low and people will search for guidance. The question is, will they look to you when the atrocities of your past decisions are revealed? 

"I certainly wouldn't believe anything you say after reading those reports."

Then Crowley smirked; a satisfied and superior thing that crawled across his face and made Dean want to punch him.

" _However,_ " he began, enunciating the word very slowly and precisely. "No sane person wants war, whatever their species and although we have been fighting for so long, we are willing to extend an olive branch to you." There was a dramatic pause and Dean rolled his eyes. Crowley always was a bit of a showman.

"Providing," continued the red-winged demon as he addressed Michael. "You and your brothers admit to your crimes and hand yourself over to the proper authorities where you will be dealt with accordingly."

Dean clenched his fists. And executed, more like.

A few higher agents, including Castiel, tensed and their wings shifted minutely, preparing for a brutal fight.

"And you think our people will follow you?" Growled Michael, his irritation beginning to peak through his tone. "You who have slaughtered our young and our elderly? Murdered our parents, maimed our children and mutilated our grandparents? You think they will forgive you?"

Crowley shook his head. "We don't need their forgiveness, just their cooperation. Do you honestly think we will ever forget what you have done to us? The families you've tortured, the homes you have destroyed? No, our people will never get along, but they can learn to tolerate one another. 

"But we can't have people like you and your brothers threatening that peace. You have already shown you are willing to perform the unthinkable in order to secure your victory in this war; how on Earth can we trust you not to stab us in the backs once we have formed what tentative peace we are able?"

A quiet muttering started up amongst angel ranks and Michael subtly glanced around his soldiers with concern.

Dean frowned. Whilst he and the higher ranking angels understood Crowley's offer to be one born of lies and scaremongering, those less wise and more naïve were bound to consider such a tempting idea.

A life without war was a promising prospect.

"You wouldn't be so selfish as to deprive your own people of a chance at peace just because of your egos, would you? Maybe I should release the files to your public and let them make their own choices? You are a democracy, are you not?" Goaded Crowley.

Michael chose his words carefully.

"If I thought you were being sincere in your offer, I, along with my brothers, would happily step down and allow our respective people to form a treaty. Unfortunately, your previous actions have made me wary. I do not believe you have the best intentions for my species in mind."

More chatter amongst angel ranks, yet Crowley did not seem disturbed by any of it.

"You're as stubborn as I first believed you to be. I'm disappointed. I thought you cared more for your subordinates; it seems I was wrong."

Dean grated his teeth together. Crowley was as heartless as they got when it came down to his soldiers. He didn't care what became of them as long as they did their jobs and it benefitted him or the banks.

He probably didn't even know he and Sam were still breathing.

"I care more for them than you do your own," stated Michael and Dean had this peculiar feeling that the archangel was referring to him and his brother. 

Crowley seemed to catch the underlying meaning behind that message and he raised both eyebrows in amusement.

"Oh? How so?"

"I've heard rumours of how you treat those you see as disloyal. You are far crueler than we originally gave you credit for," said Michael, clearly trying to protect Sam and Dean from their mentally unstable ex-leader by not revealing their identities.

Dean once again felt a flicker of guilt.

For the first time, an expression of confusion flashed across Crowley's face, before it morphed back into its natural smirk.

"Whilst I don't tolerate mutiny, I assume you're referring to the Winchesters? They are the only demons that spring to mind when referring to those who have had close contact with angels such as yourselves."

An annoyed scowl settled across his features. "I was rather peeved to discover they had been terminated at your hands. They were, after all, my best agents. 

"No matter. I have what I wanted and it was one of your own angels who gave it to me. Now you shall see what happens when you anger the demonic population."

Michael, however, was frowning at something he couldn't quite work out.

And Dean knew exactly what it was.

"Termin- " The archangel cut himself off, scowl deepening.

Was it Dean or did Gabriel just shuffle closer to Sam almost... nervously?

Beside him, Cas was frowning but before he got to think too hard about the odd statement, Crowley sighed.

"This conversation has lasted far too long. I have offered you a compromise and you have rejected it. My only choice now is to kill you."

And ever the actor, Crowley held his hand up and clicked his fingers.

Suddenly, there was chaos.

Demons took to the skies whilst others surged forwards, snarling and bearing weaponry such as guns, blades and explosives. The noise was deafening as the angels were caught off-guard and they scrambled to defend themselves, bullets ringing and swords clashing all around.

When Dean turned to Castiel, the angel had already disappeared, shooting off to protect the shocked Michael, who had already been in the open whilst questioning Crowley.

The ruby-winged demon was nowhere to be seen.

From a little way off, Dean spotted Constantine and his stomach dropped. All his classes were here, fighting for their lives despite none of them having had enough training to be successful. He understood it of course; the angels needed every able body to take up arms after such a surprise attack, but it didn't make it hurt any less that the majority of Dean and Sam's students would probably die today when they didn't even have the proper training or practice.

Shouts and grunts of pain made Dean wince and his heart raced as blood spattered the otherwise pristine-looking grass. There were cries of fury and agony surrounding him and Dean felt physically sick when bodies began to fall; mostly bodies with pale wings, and whilst he didn't particularly want to see the deaths of the people he had, at one time, called his friends, there was a sort-of injustice to it all. 

There hadn't been a full-scale attack like this in over a century, and whilst Sam and Dean's original mission had been to gather intel to initiate one, the fact that they had attempted to protect the angels from slaughter, yet demons had got their hands on the information anyway, presented a twisted form of irony.

Dean glanced upwards and his eyes shifted to black in panic when he spotted one of the cadets, Hester, desperately trying to escape the clutches of a dagger-wielding, female demon. The angel dropped into the low nose dive she had recently learned, but there wasn't enough space between them, and the demon pulled her wings in tight so she'd fall quicker.

Not wanting to observe the death of one of his students if he could help them, Dean bolted into the sky and he briefly caught the terrified glow of Hester's eyes before he ploughed into the pursuing demon, stunning her but not harming her.

Then he recognised her face.

He had never had any love for Ruby. She had been a bad influence on Sam when his brother had just lost Jessica and had tried to not only worm her way into his bank accounts, but also force him into taking drugs that would boost his adrenaline and make him almost as sadistic and warped as she was.

Their relationship hadn't lasted long (Sam was upset, not stupid) and Dean had quickly told Ruby that if she ever went near Sam again he would make sure nobody asked questions about her inevitable 'disappearing act'.

Back in the present, Ruby stared back at him, mouth open in a little 'o' shape as she took in his evidently un-terminated figure.

Dean scowled at her but did nothing more as he trailed Hester back to the ground.

The angel prepared to thank him, gratefulness apparent in her gaze, but Dean shook his head.

"Stay away from the higher agents," he advised and Hester nodded before darting back into the sky.

He was just about to take off again when something slammed into his back, pinning him to the floor with surprising expertise.

"Traitor!" It hissed and Dean paled when he recognised the feminine voice.

The female flipped him onto his back and she pressed her knife to his throat.

"Why are you helping ang- " She cut off mid-sentence, wide eyed when she noticed his face.

"Dean?" She asked, confused and the older Winchester opened his mouth to say something, anything, when Jo scowled at him, shaking her head.

"No, they... they said you were dead. You died on a mission!" She accused and Dean snapped his mouth shut. 

"You... you're on their side?" Jo asked brokenly and Dean's wings shifted in distress.

"It's not like that. Sam and I, we- "

"Sam's here too? You both defected?" Jo's caramel wings were flapping now in a mixture of hurt, bewilderment and anger, and Dean grabbed her shoulders to calm her, but this seemed to make her more agitated and she fought him off. 

"Jo, listen. The angels aren't how we're told they are. They're like us; the archangels want this war to be over just as much as we do!"

"They killed my father! They killed your parents! How can you choose them over us?"

Dean shook his head. "That's not- "

"Don't tell me that's not how it is! They've slaughtered hundreds of us in cold blood, burned our homes, tortured our families and you just decide to roll over for them and be their little pets?!" She spat, fire in her eyes and Dean frowned.

"We've not turned our backs on you, but Michael is a fair leader. He listens to what others have to say. We have a better chance at peace between our people with him than we ever will with Crowley."

"Those archangels will never care for us! We'd be slaves bound by their command and we'd have fewer rights than their homeless! We'd be treated like animals!"

"That's not true! We've been here for over two years and they treat us with the highest respect we could ask for! They'd make sure you're well-looked after. You just have to tell the others; the agents, the soldiers, the cadets. Explain to them how life could be if we weren't constantly at war and the public will soon follow! Jo, our people don't have to be at odds with one another; we could live in harmony- "

"They're too different from us!"

"No, they're not! They're exactly like us! They have families, homes, friends; they like music and sport and roast dinners on a Sunday evening! They love and laugh and cry just like we do! Don't you get it? They're not the monsters we're taught to hate."

Jo's bottom lip began to quiver and she shut her eyes.

"No. They're murderers. Killers. So many of our people have died at their hands- "

"And so many of theirs have died at ours!" Argued Dean. "There's no difference."

But Jo wouldn't hear it. Didn't want to listen.

"Go, Dean. I'll let you escape this once, but if you or your brother ever cross my path again, you won't get another chance," said the blonde, tears beginning to collect in her eyes and Dean snapped his mouth shut as she climbed off him and dashed into the sky without looking back.

Dean felt a sense of loss settle heavy in his grace.

But then, reality set in and Dean was disorientated at the amount of bodies, demon and angel alike falling to the floor, some from great heights, others with blood seeping into their clothes as they stumbled on the field.

He prayed none of them had blue eyes and white wings.

Upon spotting another cadet struggling with a particularly persistent lower-ranked demon, Dean flew to his rescue.

However, he had to dodge out of the way of a round of bullets when an angel mistook him for an enemy, not recognising his face, and he held his hands up in surrender when another young angel, dripping with blood and with fear evident in his chocolate gaze, cowered away from him, pathetically wielding a small blade in his direction.

Dean took another look at the soaring cadet and deemed the young angel in front of him in more need of immediate attention.

"Easy, kid," said Dean warily, nodding to the blade, and the pale-looking teen quaked in terror but did not relinquish his grip.

Glancing around, Dean's grace pulsed in relief when he saw the nearby Raphael tending to a few of the more fatally injured, Balthazar and Anna providing him with cover.

"I'll take you to Raphael, okay?" Said Dean and he scooped up the shaking youth and used his wings to protect him from any more gunfire. 

The teen began to sob into his chest, pearl wings trembling and Dean hushed him soothingly.

Sweat seeped from Raphael's skin as he fiercely tried to save the lives of the angels in his care and Dean's dark wings must have shocked him, because he snatched a scalpel and jabbed it in the demon's direction.

"Woah!" Dean shouted as he dodged out of the way, still holding the whimpering teen and Raphael blinked, eyes full of apology before continuing on the dying girl in his arms.

"Got another one for you," said Dean quietly, words full of sympathy and Raphael nodded without taking his eyes off the girl.

"Your brother's been here a few times as well. Saved quite a few lives."

Dean cracked half a smile as he deposited the teen near Raphael. The youth gazed up at him with thankful, but dull eyes.

"I imagine this to be hard for you," murmured Raphael softly and Dean nodded tightly. 

"We don't expect you to fight. No one expects you to battle the people who were your friends," said the archangel and Dean once again felt that familiar pulse of _'family'_ and _'belong'_ pass through his grace.

"You need cover?" Dean said instead and Raphael glanced at him once, the strain of the situation clear in his expression.

Dean nodded and took to the air, circling Raphael's position. 

It helped that his wings were dark. Most demons would refrain from attacking the archangel if they thought another demon was already there.

Balthazar and Anna smiled their thanks.

He lost count of how long he spent up there, circling the archangel and helping inexperienced angels every so often; it could have been minutes or hours, but when he glimpsed Crowley for the first time throughout the hellish battle, his heart missed a beat.

The demon was slowly, but surely making his way towards Michael, where the archangel was otherwise occupied with a trio of higher demon agents who were swooping and swiping at him with blades, preventing him from leaving the ground.

Castiel was a little distance off, along with Lucifer as they fought their own battle against a group of demons who had automatic weapons trained on them. Fortunately, Castiel and his adopted brother were far more skilled than the runts who had decided to try their luck, and every attack was avoided, with the two angels managing to pick the demons off one by one.

Dean's concern, however was with Crowley and his target of Michael.

Dread simmering low in his gut, Dean darted towards Michael, his wings too heavy to carry him at the pace he wanted and he was slowed down by a few angels who mistook him as a threat. 

He swerved around them and there was a shout of alarm from one of the angels closest to Michael as they noticed where he was heading.

A few bullets soared past him, but he was too focused on how close Crowley was to the archangel to pay them any heed.

He cried out once as Crowley readied his vicious-looking dagger a mere two feet away from Michael's unprotected back, and the demons taunting the archangel suddenly cackled and veered away.

Unaware of his impending fate, Michael watched them retreat, but a fearful shout from Lucifer had him turning his head to face the new threat.

Crowley's blade descended towards his skull.

...Only to pause when a black-eyed demon stood in front of Michael, oak wings outstretched and fanned wide over the archangel's frame.

Crowley's eyes widened as the blade hovered uncertainly between them both and Dean was acutely aware of the way the battlefield seemed to quieten around them, angels and demons stopping to stare at the scene of a highly-ranked demon protecting an archangel from his own boss.

"...Dean?" Asked Crowley, disbelievingly.

Dean didn't relax his wings. He didn't trust the other demon with that blade still gripped tightly in his hand.

His heart was pounding in his ears. Everyone could see him and there was no mistaking he was defending Michael; an angel he'd been trained to kill. It must have been an odd sight; Crowley's best agents turning against him so defiantly, but as Sam landed beside Gabriel, everyone on the field would know of their apparent change in sides.

"I thought..." Crowley trailed off, a puzzled frown resting on his face before he put two and two together and scowled.

"Move," he commanded lowly, darkly and Dean's wings only stretched further.

"Move," said Crowley again, scowl deepening and Dean puffed out his chest slightly, silently telling the other demon what he thought of his order.

"You've got to be joking," spat Crowley, feathers disordering themselves in fury. "You're protecting him? The angel who killed your father, your friends, your brother's lover? Have you no backbone?"

Dean narrowed his eyes.

"They have only done to us what we have done to them. There wouldn't be a war if you could look past your own pride and stop thinking about what you'll gain from all of this, and at least attempted to solve the issues between us."

Crowley glared at him. "When I first sent you on that mission, I never expected you to actually defect."

Dean's grace shrunk uncomfortably as he heard Michael and a few other angels around him mutter confusedly to themselves.

"Mission?" He heard the archangel whisper and something in his expression must have given his nervousness away, because Crowley glanced at the surrounding angels, noting their puzzled faces, including Lucifer and Castiel's odd frowns.

In fact, Gabriel was the only one who hadn't reacted at all to Crowley's statement, and this knowledge made the red-winged man sneer cruelly.

"Let me guess, you haven't told them the real reason you were first sent over to their side of the border?"

"Sent?" Echoed Michael behind him, voice barely audible and Dean's mouth drew into a tight line as he stared at Crowley.

"Yes, _'sent'_ ," confirmed the demonic leader, ears well tuned to everyone and everything around him. "Didn't Squirrel and Moose tell you?"

When Michael didn't reply, Crowley laughed condescendingly.

"Don't tell me you thought they were actually defecting because of a sincere change in heart or some other beautifully poetic reason? Hardly," he snorted and Dean almost lunged at the other demon to silence him, but the implication had already been forced into everyone's heads and if Dean made a move now, it would be like pleading guilty in front of a curious jury.

"No. I'm afraid Dean and Sam 'defected' because I told them to. They probably spun some cleverly thought-out lie about handing over information to your people and as a result, they were caught by our agents and sought after for treason, or mutiny or something equally sordid. I bet you believed it too; fell for it hook, line and sinker like the naïve little children you are.

"I'm terribly sorry to have to inform you, but the demons you granted asylum to are nothing but a couple of well-trained spies just waiting for the right opportunity to sneak into your Archives and steal valuable information that would uncover you as the sadistic villains you are."

Then he frowned distastefully.

"Or at least, they were supposed to, but when they never replied to my letters I assumed they were dead, or at least dying. Turns out they've just got Stockholm Syndrome."

Dean didn't dare look behind him for fear of Crowley's blade 'slipping' into the archangel he was protecting, but if he had, he would have seen Lucifer's eyes wide with shock and Cas' face full of hurt and confusion. A few angels around them were expressing their surprise and the cadets Sam and Dean had trained were unsettled; a mixture of disbelief and upset displayed in their body language and faces.

Michael was struggling to keep his face neutral.

"Tell me that's not true, Dean," he pleaded lowly and when the demon's mouth drew into a thin, guilty line, Michael closed his eyes defeatedly.

"You see," smirked Crowley. "You've been harbouring traitors all this time. How can your people rely on you to keep them safe?"

Suddenly, Dean felt a growl rumble deep in his throat.

"You're right; we were on a mission to bring them to their knees, at first. But then we realised how well they treat the soldiers and the agents who fight for them. How they mourn each and every death of their people, no matter how small or unimportant they may seem in the grand scale of it all. How they're not just machines working out battle plans and strategical manoeuvres; they're brothers, a family and they make sure they never forget that."

Sam's voice was soon backing him up.

"And it's not only the archangels, either. The agents have treated us with respect; more than we deserve after our history with them. They offered us safety when they thought we needed it and never once harmed us. They offered us a home and friendship despite our past actions towards them and they welcomed us into their society as they would any other citizen."

A quiet buzz of chatter began amongst the angels and demons surrounding the scene, and Dean quickly cottoned on to his brother's line of thinking.

Crowley was attempting to make the angels turn against their leaders by choosing his words carefully and humiliating the archangels in front of the masses. 

Well, two could play at that game.

"Can you honestly attest to doing the same for angels who seek refuge?" Asked Dean. "Would you treat them as you do your own people or would you interrogate them; torture them for information when they have nowhere else to go?"

Dean held back a smirk as a few demons began to frown in contemplation, muttering and whispering quietly to one another.

"And even after all that," he said before gesturing to the angels around him. "They still take us in and offer us a home when we ask for one."

As the mumbling increased amongst demon ranks and the onlooking angels began to smile at each other at the Winchesters' words, Crowley began to look more and more paranoid.

Dean let his gaze wander over the dark-winged figures scattered about the field, his grace brightening in hope as he watched their expressions become sceptical as they glanced at Crowley, but then his gaze landed on a familiar form and the smile was wiped off his face.

Bobby was watching him with disappointed eyes and as Dean tried to silently communicate through staring alone that this was the best course of action, Bobby shook his head sadly and turned away.

Angels had killed Bobby's wife and it looked like the elder demon would never change his opinion on them.

Dean felt his wings droop slightly and then he caught the faces of Ellen and Jo, who were looking on with wounded expressions, tears snaking down their cheeks, and they too, glanced away when Dean held their gazes.

His grace pulsed in sorrow.

However, Crowley was looking very wary by now and he shot Dean a calculating look before his eyes swept over the battlefield and the bodies littering its floor.

"I see now that their methods of torture are psychological. They have you well-trained as their lap-dogs and it saddens me to see such great agents broken and twisted into former shells of their original selves.

"However, I think we've given angelic society enough to think about for one day, and although I'd love to see how the archangels manipulate their people's minds into taking all my words as lies, I'm afraid it's time for us to make an exit. I have soldiers to tend to," said Crowley, wings spanning wide in preparation for flight.

"Well played," he muttered lowly to Dean as the surrounding demons took to the skies, some lingering a little in thought as they glanced back to Dean and Sam.

The remaining angels made no move to attack or even follow them. Instead, they turned their eyes upon their commanders, however, a kind of uncertainty was present in some of their gazes which hadn't been there before.

Michael took a few moments to compose himself and he refused to meet either Winchesters' eyes.

"Take what injured you can to hospitals, healers or any other medical persons you know of. Raphael and a few of the best healers will care for those who are unable to travel. Lucifer and Gabriel shall ensure those who have passed today have a dignified and fitting burial ceremony. They shall be remembered for their bravery."

He sighed wearily, eyes closed as the stresses of the day and what was to come finally took its toll, and his voice was sincere, yet regretful.

"You have all fought incredibly well today, and I am proud of each and every one of you. We failed you when you depend on us to keep you safe and we should never have allowed our enemies to devastate our city so greatly. 

"I promise we will do all we can to rebuild your lives and homes. Ask and you shall receive. I will make sure our governing bodies understand what has occurred today and how you should be rewarded for your efforts."

An approved chatter built up as the angels set to work following orders and Michael scrubbed a hand down his face, before turning hard eyes on Dean and as Sam gingerly made his way over, Gabriel having departed to do as his brother commanded, both Winchesters felt their stomachs drop in a sense of foreboding.

The archangel's expression was stony as he eyed them, silver wings unnaturally still. 

"We shall be having words."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cat's out of the bag it seems... But how will Michael and his brothers take the news? And more importantly, how will Cas?
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)


	22. Chapter 22

"What do you mean: _'you knew'_?" Asked Michael, expression thunderous and Gabriel scowled defiantly at him, arms crossed.

It had been five hours since Sam and Dean had been ushered into a room they knew to be used for interrogations, and since then Michael had demanded they tell him every single detail about their initial mission. The brothers had done as asked, heart-felt apologies littered throughout the explanation and by the end of it, whilst Michael grilled them with more questions, Gabriel, Lucifer and Raphael had returned from their respective tasks, exhausted but anxious.

However, the longer Michael kept the Winchesters under questioning, the more irritated Gabriel became with his brother's attitude towards them and he eventually piped up with the fact he'd already known about their secret.

Michael was less than pleased.

Dean had shot Sam a look of disbelief as Gabriel confessed his knowledge. Sam had ignored his brother.

"I mean: _I knew_. Sam told me a little while ago that he and his brother were the plants they'd talked about upon arriving here and I saw them in the Archives well before that," huffed Gabriel, wings hitched high and agitated.

Michael's were in no better state as he glared at his younger brother.

"So you made the decision to lie to us about their intentions? What is wrong with you, Gabriel?"

Gabriel threw his hands up and Sam felt the need to comfort his lover, but knew it was wiser to keep his gaze lowered.

"What intentions?" The golden-winged archangel shouted. "Wake up, Michael; Dean just saved your life!"

"That may be," grated out the other angel, "but the fact that they failed to reveal their orders suggests they have something to hide. Now knowing that Sam told you and you, too, refused to mention anything to your own brothers makes me question your loyalty to us!"

Gabriel's eyes widened in shock and both Raphael and Lucifer glanced at their brother in surprise.

Suddenly, the youngest archangel's gaze narrowed.

"You really think I'd betray my own family?" He hissed. "The only reason I never told you was because I knew you'd react like this! You're so bothered about protocol and doing everything by the book, you can't see the obvious!"

"And what is so obvious to you that is not to me?" Growled Michael.

"That they don't want to lose us!" Roared Gabriel and Michael recoiled slightly. "Sam was terrified of telling me anything because he thought we'd be disgusted by him! He thought we'd lock him and his brother up and treat them like criminals, which is exactly what you've done!"

"If you had thought to tell us earlier and we'd not found out by Crowley, of all people, they wouldn't be here at all!" Seethed Michael, though his wings were beginning to lose their composure from the strain of everything. "You have been having an affair with Sam for over a year, how am I certain you are not biased towards his cause? How am I to know if Castiel is not in alliance with Dean?"

Gabriel's wings fanned wide in outrage. "What do you think we're doing? Plotting your murder? If you're so distrusting of me, why don't you ask Castiel for yourself if he knew of Dean's orders?"

Michael's mouth drew into a thin line and Sam was surprised when he nodded towards what he knew to be a one-way window and Castiel paced through the door.

The agent's eyes were icy, wings held tight to his back and his face was devoid of any emotion as he avoided Dean's gaze.

"Answer truthfully, Castiel. Were you aware of the Winchesters' situation?"

_"No."_

Sam caught Dean's wince at the harsh tone. He felt sympathy for his brother; this must have been how Castiel had behaved when they first arrived.

Michael frowned and nodded, but didn't dismiss Castiel.

"Were there any implications of his previous orders that you witnessed?"

"No, Sir."

Gabriel cringed at the title and Michael closed his eyes wearily.

"Would it have been possible for Dean to carry out his mission without your knowing?"

"Yes, Sir."

This time, Sam winced along with his brother. Castiel didn't look like he had any sympathy for them, which must have been heart-breaking for Dean when Sam knew how much his brother cared for the angel.

Michael turned his gaze back to Gabriel.

"You have proved your point," he said, but there seemed to be a little bit of relief in his tone and Gabriel's scowl turned less furious and more hurt.

"I would never betray you, brother, you know that."

Michael's reply was almost desperate.

"And what would you have me believe, Gabriel? What am I supposed to think when my own brother refuses to tell me that the demons we have granted amnesty to, had no intention of seeking refuge? What decision do I make when my little brother tells me that he does not trust me?"

Gabriel screwed his face up. "I do trust you... but I was frightened you would take Sam away from me. You weren't there; you didn't hear how they spoke of us in the Archives. I was... worried you'd take the whole thing out of context." He shook his head. "And I know they didn't have any intention of seeking refuge at first, but after the speech they gave earlier, how can you say they don't care for us, that they don't want to be here?

"The war has been stagnant for so long, but Sam and Dean's words just turned all that on its head. Okay, so maybe our people are a little more suspicious now, but we'll just have to deal with that; at least the demons have been given something to think about. Did you see their faces? Some were actually considering what had been said. It's the best shot at peace we've ever had and it's thanks to Sam and Dean for backing us up."

Gabriel's face softened. "Please, Michael. Don't be too harsh on them. They have nothing but affection for us."

Michael was silent for a few moments before his expression grew torn.

"You must understand that you have put me in a very difficult situation, Gabriel. As you said our people are already wary of us, and they will want both Sam and Dean to be punished for their deceit. However, I can't do that when Sam has, in fact, told you of his mission, and it was your decision to keep it from the rest of us."

Gabriel shook his head. "So punish me."

Michael's face crumpled. "And how will that look? The archangels turning against one another? Brothers standing against brothers? The people do not need any more reasons to distrust us."

Michael sighed and Sam watched as his lover glanced downwards in realisation.

Both archangels suddenly looked very old in that moment.

"What would you have me do, Gabriel?" Asked Michael softly. "Because, for once, I don't know how to approach this one."

Neither did Gabriel, if his guilty expression was anything to go by.

Surprisingly, it was Raphael who spoke next.

"Sam and Dean saved quite a few lives on that battlefield today. Children, brothers, sisters and parents all would have perished if it weren't for the Winchesters' interference."

At Michael's unsure cocked eyebrow, the dark-skinned angel continued.

"All I'm saying is such heroism is seldom easily forgotten. I think that maybe your expectations of the public are a little low. The people are not unintelligent, especially in times such as these; let them make their own judgement."

Michael's expression gave way to his surprise.

"And if they demand retribution? What then?"

Raphael wore a tiny knowing smirk as he replied.

"Give them some credit, brother. At times they can be more insightful than you could imagine."

"How are you so certain?"

"Because as I healed their wounds today, many of them were grateful for the Winchesters' aid. I believe some were shocked at their desire to rescue the injured and others said they were regretful of their past attitude towards our resident demons.

"Sam and Dean may have had a poor history with us once, but their efforts today did not go unnoticed. I doubt Crowley's carefully chosen words will dim the public's newfound appreciation for our friends."

Michael mulled over the new information and Sam felt a tiny slither of hope blossom in his grace. He glanced to his brother, but the older demon was looking sadly at Cas, wings lowered in dismay.

"They will expect something, though. I can't let the Winchesters' previous orders go unexplained after Crowley's speech and there's also the rather significant matter of the reports Crowley referred to."

Lucifer tilted his head in a manner similar to Castiel.

"How about a public apology? All of us; the four archangels and both Winchesters? It may look more sincere if we were all there to explain separately. Then they can make their own decision on whether to trust us or not."

Michael raised an eyebrow in thought.

"...That... could work," he admitted finally and Sam glanced to his lover hopefully.

Gabriel wasn't looking at him though, instead gazing at the floor, wings bowed in shame.

"Fine. After the burial ceremony, we shall make an apology and provide an explanation for this mess. The Winchesters can explain their previous orders and their intentions now, and we shall apologise for not predicting this attack and make a little more sense of Crowley's speech. We don't have to explain all the details but there's no harm in reassuring our people."

Not that they could even consider revealing all the details. Crowley wasn't wrong about the horrors locked away in those files, but war was all about decisions and consequences. Sometimes, the government and military leaders had no choice but to pursue a particular course of action, despite knowing the end result.

Gabriel's voice was quiet, subdued as he piped up.

"And I shall apologise for keeping secrets from my brothers."

Michael's gaze softened. "You don't have to do that publicly, Gabriel."

"No, I do. I'm not letting Sam and Dean take all the blame; I should have told you as soon as I found out, but I didn't. And I'm sorry."

Michael hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"If you wish." Then he shook his head, voice quiet. "You know I didn't mean what I said? About your loyalty to us? I know you would never betray us, brother. It's just this day has been..."

"Stressful?" Asked Gabriel in a low voice and Michael nodded tiredly.

"Indeed." He paused. "I'm sorry, Gabriel, for losing my temper with you. I... I understand your apprehension about telling me; sometimes I don't take into account people's feelings and emotions." 

"You try," murmured Gabriel, wings still bowed respectfully. "And you are family; I shouldn't have hidden it from you. I'm sorry."

Michael smiled faintly.

"No one's perfect. And relax your wings; you don't have to do that with your own brothers."

Gabriel blinked before smiling sheepishly as the golden appendages swung back into their natural position.

"Aww, you guys are breaking my heart," drawled Lucifer. "But now we've made a plan, can we go home? My legs are killing me from all this standing."

Both Michael and Gabriel rolled their eyes, but the silver-winged archangel shot the eerily silent Castiel a concerned look.

"I don't see why not," he said carefully before glancing pointedly at Dean. "Dismissed."

Raphael and Lucifer exited the room relatively quickly, with Michael trailing them a few steps behind.

Castiel waited patiently for the higher angels to leave before pivoting stiffly on his heel and stalking out.

Dean watched numbly.

"You two have a lot to talk about," said Gabriel when Castiel was well out of earshot and Dean continued to stare at the door.

Through the bond with his brother, Sam could feel Dean's hollowness and the distress seeping through his frame. He pushed tendrils of comfort through his side of their connection and Dean finally turned around.

"You've not lost him, Dean, but you must go to him now. It may not seem like it, but he needs you," said Gabriel quietly and Sam dumped encouragement through their bond.

Dean glanced at the pair of them before nodding determinedly and sprinting through the door.

"You didn't have to shoulder the blame too," stated Sam, voice sounding small after all the commotion that had just taken place.

Gabriel frowned. "It was partly my fault as well." Then he chuckled. "You were right; I did get into quite a bit of trouble for keeping secrets."

Sam smiled gratefully. "Thanks for sticking up for us."

"No problem, Kiddo." An embarrassed pause. "Thanks for defending us in front of Crowley."

"No problem, old man," teased Sam and Gabriel thumped him over the back of the head with his wing.

"I'm not that old."

"You're older than me."

"Everybody's older than you."

Sam shook his head with a grin, before his expression sobered.

"Michael didn't say what would happen to us now. I thought protocol was to either lock us up or send us back into observation for another couple of years with a different host?"

Gabriel smiled weakly. "I think it was a way for him to show that he understands my feelings for you. And a way to allow Dean and Cas to sort out whatever's going on between them," he added as an afterthought.

Sam huffed out a laugh.

"I don't think I've ever met military leaders quite like you guys before."

"What? So dysfunctional?"

"So caring," the demon corrected. "If it had been Crowley standing there rather than Michael, he would have just said 'off with their heads', 'stuff the people' and that would have been the end of it. You guys actually try to fix things."

Gabe chuckled. "I'm beginning to get the impression you really don't like Crowley."

"I thought his way was the only way, until I got thrown in with you and your brothers."

Gabriel feigned shock. "Wait; you didn't choose to defect?"

Sam pulled a face in mock disgust.

"Are you kidding? I can't stand any of you."

The archangel grinned. "You two really had a few demon heads turning today," he said after a moment. "...Do you think they'd consider a truce with us?"

Sam chewed the inside of his cheek in thought.

"They'll certainly think about it. After all, seeing Crowley's two best agents batting for the other team, or at least helping them out a little, has got to seem a bit odd."

"If you could see us as allies, I have hope that so could others."

" _'Allies'_? Is that what they're calling _'sex'_ now?" Smirked Sam coyly and Gabriel barked out a laugh before tugging Sam closer by his collar and planting a sloppy, wet kiss on his lips.

The demon sputtered and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as Gabriel cackled.

"Come on, Romeo, let's go home. Lucifer was right about all this standing being terrible for one's legs."

 

* * *

 

Castiel closed his eyes, wings high and stiff as he heard the door to the apartment creak slowly open.

He refused to turn around.

"Cas?" Came Dean's voice after a few awkward moments and the angel felt his wings begin to quiver in unrestrained anger.

"Castiel?" Dean tried again, voice small and the older man clenched his fists.

"What?" He bit out coldly and Dean hesitated once more.

"Cas, please. Let me... let me explain."

And all the hurt and shock and fury boiled over in Castiel and it felt like his grace had been set on fire as he whirled on Dean, eyes blazing bright blue.

"Explain what exactly?" He hissed and Dean visibly recoiled.

"You lied, Dean. You told us all you were on the run from your co-workers; that you'd seen how people had suffered at the hands of your government and your military and you said you didn't want anyone to go through that again! You told us you thought our way of life was better! You said our forces were better handled; more fair than your own!"

Cas heard his own voice break. 

"You told me you never wanted to hurt me. You said you loved me and that you wanted to keep me safe. So why did you lie to me? Why didn't you tell me what you were really doing here?"

Dean scrunched his face up.

"I... I didn't want to scare you away- "

"I'm not a child, Dean! In case you've forgotten, I'm one of the highest ranking angels on the force! I don't cower from confrontation like some timid animal!"

"I know!" Said Dean, eyes shifting to black of their own accord as desperation crept into his tone. "But you've already been hurt once, a long time ago, by another demon who was found to have betrayed you all."

Cas stiffened but Dean wasn't finished.

"I didn't want you to think I was the same as he was. I didn't want you to think I was using you like he did. I was... scared you'd think I felt nothing for you and it was all just a ploy to get the information I was supposed to collect for Crowley."

Cas' grace pulsed painfully.

"Do you have so little faith in me?" And Dean's eyes widened.

Castiel shook his head. "I'm not angry that you received the orders; I'm angry that you chose not to tell me about them. I thought you trusted me enough to reveal something like that; I thought you knew me well enough to realise I'd stopped comparing you to Alistair a long time ago."

Dean looked stricken and Castiel sighed softly.

"Why would I think you have anything in common with Alistair when you have proved, on countless occasions, how much you care for me? Since we first started this relationship, and I mean really started it, I have never once felt unsafe around you. You searched for me tirelessly when I fled home, you panicked terribly when I was ordered to cross the border, you were jealous, possessive even around Balthazar and I cannot begin to remember all the times you have expressed concern for my well-being or worried that your presence would impact negatively on my status.

"You also gave up your friends and what little family you still have to protect me and my brothers when you made that decision to leave the Archives empty-handed. You defended us in front of your ex-boss and the entirety of demonic forces, and you've come back here to apologise to me because you know I'm upset with you.

"How on Earth could I believe you were just using me? How could I think you _'felt nothing'_ for me?"

Cas shook his head, wings drooping slightly.

"I'm annoyed with you not because you came here with a mission in mind, but because even after we got to know each other, even after you confessed your love for me, even after we began to rely and depend on each other for support through the good times and the bad, you failed to tell me about your orders. You thought I wouldn't understand; that I would be so shallow as to see you as nothing more than a repeat of Alistair."

The angel closed his eyes defeatedly. "And that hurts."

Dean looked wrecked. 

"I... I never thought..." He trailed off, ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Cas," he whispered brokenly. "I just assumed you wouldn't want anything to do with me if I told you. I didn't know you... I didn't know you thought so highly of me."

Cas' gaze turned exasperated. "How could I not? You have my best interests at heart in everything you do; I have nothing but the highest admiration for you, Dean."

Dean flushed red as his eyes closed in a mixture of embarrassment and guilt.

"I'm so sorry. Truly, I am. I should've known you'd understand, but I guess I was too scared of losing you to realise how much you cared for me. I suppose I was being selfish."

Cas felt the all the rage and hurt drain out of him and his expression softened.

"You weren't being selfish," he admitted quietly. "You did what you thought would spare me heartache, even if I'd preferred you to have told me."

A tense silence fell between them and Castiel's eyes moved to the floor as Dean looked everywhere but at him.

"Maybe... maybe I was reminded of Alistair a little," the angel confessed, voice barely above a whisper, and Dean's gaze shot towards him.

"I wouldn't- "

"I know you wouldn't. As I said: I stopped comparing the two of you a long time ago. It's just... this was so similar to what he... to what he wanted to achieve. And I know you're nothing like him. I know you wouldn't make an attempt on my life like he did." Cas almost jumped at Dean's low growl.

"But the fact that I found out about the whole thing from Crowley, of all people..." Cas sighed. "It all seems so unreal. For a moment, I thought history was repeating itself."

Dean shook his head fiercely.

"I promise it's not. I get it; I should've said something earlier, should've trusted you more. But believe me when I say I could never do what he did." He averted his gaze, wings hanging low in grief. "I love you too much."

Cas' eyes burned a brighter blue, distress apparent.

"I love you too," he almost whimpered and Dean's black eyes met Cas' sapphire ones.

Neither knew who moved first, but soon the pair were in one another's arms, holding each other tight as if their lives depended on it.

"I'm sorry," rambled Dean over and over, his wings flapping frantically until Castiel's arced around them, their feathers brushing and mingling messily.

Cas' hand tangled itself in Dean's hair as he pulled the other man's head against his shoulder and one of Dean's hands buried itself deep into the base of Cas' wing.

"It's okay, Dean," murmured Cas gently as he pressed his nose against the demon's hair and Dean whined quietly.

"No, it's not. I should have told you. I was going to tell you before, but the city was under attack and there was no time." He nuzzled at Cas' neck. "Should've said something months ago," he said miserably.

"Maybe... maybe I've been a little harsh," admitted Castiel sheepishly. "I... I can see why you were frightened of revealing anything." He paused. "You were going to tell me earlier?"

Dean nodded glumly, face still hidden in the angel's neck.

"Was too cowardly to do it sooner."

Castiel pulled a face, grace trying to shuffle as close as possible to Dean's to offer it comfort.

"You're not a coward, Dean," he mumbled and the pair fell into another awkward silence as they held each other.

"Please don't go."

Cas startled at Dean's insecure voice and alarm bells rang in his mind at his words. He forced Dean's chin up until they were looking at one another.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours, remember?"

Dean frowned, puzzled.

"But I thought... I lied to you. Told you I was something I'm not. Why would you even consider staying with me?"

Cas shook his head. He had always hated Dean's self-loathing.

"You lied to me about orders you disobeyed anyway. Unless you lied about everything else including wanting a relationship with me, then I'd say that was a pretty pathetic reason for me to leave you."

Dean's eyes were wide with disbelief.

" _'Pathetic'_? I was ordered to steal classified information in order to crumble your society in preparation for demons to take over your lands and slaughter your people. I wouldn't exactly call that a _'pathetic'_ reason to break up with me."

Cas felt a tiny smile worm its way onto his face. Were they really having a conversation about whether they should end their relationship or not, despite neither wanting to do so?

"But you didn't go through with the orders. You chose us over everything you've ever known. You chose me. If that doesn't show dedication and loyalty, I don't know what does."

Dean's eyes were still black, but they were looking less despairing by the second.

"...So you're not leaving, you just wished I'd have said something sooner?"

Cas nodded, the smile growing slightly. This whole conversation was getting ridiculous.

"Exactly."

"Oh."

_"Oh."_

Dean glanced downwards in embarrassment, so Castiel tenderly cupped his cheek, and to prove what he had said was how he really felt, pressed their lips together sweetly.

It was almost comical how Dean's wings hitched high in surprise but as Castiel's paler ones embraced them possessively, they soon relaxed and curled around Cas' back.

When they broke apart, Dean melted into Cas' chest, eyes slowly returning to their natural green as the angel's did the same.

"'M sorry," Dean mumbled once more and Cas rolled his eyes.

"Just... don't do it again," he said after a moment and Dean glanced at him oddly.

"I mean don't keep secrets from me again. I'd rather you tell me; we can always work things out together," he huffed and Dean lowered his gaze as he pressed up against his angel once again.

"Okay," he murmured as he placed a kiss on Cas' jaw.

Cas hugged him tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, guys! The chapter everyone has been dreading! It wasn't that bad, was it?
> 
> We're almost at the end of this fic now! Only a couple of chapters to go, I think. So tell me what you've thought of it so far. Improvements, criticisms etc.
> 
> Happy reading!


	23. Chapter 23

The burial ceremony for all those who had lost their lives on the battlefield took place exactly a week later, on a Monday morning. Tears were shed, families were distraught and the archangels felt every bit of their people's pain. 

The governing bodies made a heartfelt speech (then returned to their ivory towers to sip tea and chew biscuits as none of them would ever dream of sending their own families into war) and the leaders of the military forces and their top agents (including Dean and Sam) were all present throughout the entire affair, heads bowed and wings low.

The archangels received a few glances of distrust.

The following Friday, the archangels, Dean and Sam took to the stand in the city centre to make a formal apology (a few highly-trained agents such as Castiel, Anna and Balthazar were also present in the background to ensure there were no targeted attacks against their leaders by any enraged angels... but nobody needed to know about them).

It was a cloudy day, a cool breeze whipping around them as if foreshadowing the morning ahead and most angels were wrapped up warm, overly-expensive paper coffee cups barely managing to keep their hands from shaking.

A television crew stood slightly off-centre for those who refused to make the journey into town and each of the archangels felt a familiar heavy weight settle upon their shoulders. It happened every time they were expected to make a speech of such magnitude; one that would determine the hefty consequences of the immediate future.

Michael took to the stage first.

"First of all, I'd like to once again apologise to the families and friends of all those who passed away last week. It was a tragedy that never should have occurred. A tragedy my brothers and I should have prevented and protected you from."

Not that they could have predicted such a surprise onslaught, but the people needed to hear someone held accountable; they needed to know that they were still safe under the protection of the archangels' leadership. It wouldn't have been practical to say that there was nothing anybody could have done (even if they really couldn't) as the public would start to panic.

So Michael ploughed on. He spoke of his guilt and shame at not being there for his people when they needed him. He spoke of his sorrow and grief at knowing so many people had died. He spoke of his fury at Crowley and his demons for needlessly slaughtering so many.

Lucifer, Raphael and Gabriel each chipped in, confessing their pride of the public; how they fought bravely and determinedly, and that justice would be served to those who had caused such loss amongst the angels. They said how people would be rewarded for their efforts and that the proper paperwork had already been filled in to ensure no one was left out in these rewards.

When all that and more was announced, the brothers had to broach the subject of the files Crowley had referred to.

"The reports Crowley spoke of; those he threatened us with, are not a topic to be taken lightly," stated Michael in that wise, commanding voice of his. "There are parts of those files that shock us still. They reveal strategies and plans dating all the way back to when this war was only an idea in someone's mind. There are centuries-worth of data held within the citadel's Archives. It is a hefty blow to us that such information has been leaked.

"However, be under no illusion that you, our people, are where our best interests lie. Every move, every plan we create is only put into action when we are certain it will advantage you. We do not wish to recreate the horrors of some of our predecessors, despite what Crowley might have you believe."

It was well known that there had been military (and governmental) leaders within the last few centuries who had almost single-handedly crippled angelic society because of the risks they had taken without considering the effects they would later have. 

A few elder angels grimaced in remembrance. The archangels' grandfather had been one of said maniacs. It was why it was so surprising that Michael and his brothers had turned out to be one of the best leaders ever recorded for angel forces.

The distrusting glances being sent the archangels' ways turned less hostile, which pleased Michael enough for him to not reveal anything else contained within the incriminating reports.

The explanation was detailed enough to appease the public, but brief enough to ensure no military secrets became too exposed.

The silver-winged angel nodded to Sam and Dean and both brothers nervously took to the podium.

"As most of you know, my brother and I have been staying with you for well over two years now under the guise of amnesty seekers on the run from demon forces. As you recently heard, this was a lie," gulped Sam as a few narrowed glares were sent their way. 

"Our original mission was to earn your trust and eventually infiltrate your citadel in order to break into the Archives," stated Dean, encouraged at the fact he could see Castiel shooting him a small, proud smile from half way across the town square.

"But after getting to know you all and becoming integrated into your society, our cover became less of a cover and more of an opportunity to see you as friends and family rather than enemies," admitted Dean and a few of the withering glares softened.

Sam stepped forward once more, wings lowered in a show of guilt.

"We will confess, we did break into your Archives." A few shocked expressions. "But after helping to train your cadets and making so many new friends... and lovers..." He glanced at Gabriel. "We realised, whilst down there, that we couldn't betray you like that. You're not just a mission anymore; you're the people we pass on the street each morning, the people we order coffee from, the neighbours we see walking their dogs every afternoon... You're not the monsters we were trained to kill. You're just people, like us. You have families and jobs and bills to pay."

Sam frowned. "This whole war has gone on for far too long; it's taken too many innocent lives and we don't want to be a part of it anymore. We've seen how much you've suffered at demon hands and we just want peace between our people. We're sorry we fought against you in the first place."

Dean lowered his gaze. "We should have informed you of our orders sooner. For that, we're sorry."

"Actually, they did," cut in Gabriel and a few angels raised their eyebrows.

"Sam told me of his mission a few weeks prior to the attack. For personal reasons I decided not to tell my brothers. I deeply regret that now. It was selfish of me to hide this from you and so I cannot, in good conscience, allow Sam and Dean to be held completely accountable."

A bit of chatter started up; murmurs of speculation or contemplation and Gabriel backed down from the microphone, wings bowed and gaze lowered.

Michael shot his brother a thankful glance.

"You've heard our pleas and you are all intelligent enough to make your own decisions on whether you believe us to be speaking the truth. If you no longer trust us, we will step down from our positions to make way for someone you feel can protect you and our forces suitably," said Michael stoically, though the slight twitch in his wings betrayed his anxiousness.

A tense silence settled over the square as people mulled over the speakers' words, and the archangels shifted uncomfortably as they waited for some form of a response.

A single angel in the centre of the crowd began to clap, followed by another, then another, and soon, the whole square was applauding and cheering, expressing their forgiveness.

The archangels seemed to release a breath in unison.

"Thank you," said Michael, a small smile resting on his face. "We shall endeavour to do all we can to ensure a tragedy like this never occurs again. Crowley will pay for what he has done to us."

The cheering got louder and a few strong-minded angels whistled in agreement as the speakers finally stepped off the podium.

As the public began to disperse, returning to whatever they did on a dreary Friday morning, the agents placed inconspicuously around the square also began to disappear, Castiel quickly finding his way to Dean.

The two exchanged some hushed words, before Cas slid his arm around Dean's waist, pride radiating from his features as he nuzzled the demon's cheek.

Gabriel felt a familiar presence standing behind him, and he whirled around to find Sam offering him a lop-sided grin.

"You didn't have to do that for us," he said quietly and Gabriel shrugged.

"No, but it was the right thing to do. You warned me that I'd get into trouble if I didn't say anything to my brothers, and once again, you were utterly correct. I am partly to blame for this whole mess."

"Are you needed in the office right now, or can we go home?" Sam asked curiously. "I want to be with you."

Gabriel's grace warmed and his wings fluttered contentedly behind him.

"I want to be with you too, Kiddo. But I'm afraid I've got a bit of work to do first."

Sam's wings slumped. 

"I'll see if I can get off a bit earlier," the angel promised and Sam smiled half-heartedly. 

"You haven't got any classes today?" Asked Gabriel after a moment and the demon shook his head.

"Still recovering from last week. At least those that are still alive are," he said bitterly and Gabriel pulled a sympathetic face as he gently took his lover's hand in his own.

"You did the best you could," he whispered. "Better than they could have done with any other instructor." He kissed the demon's knuckles. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

Sam cupped Gabriel's cheek as he stroked a thumb over the smooth skin.

"I really love you," he said after a moment and Gabriel had to hold back his grace once more as it made a break for Sam's. He was becoming an expert at that little feat.

"I love you too, Sam. More than you'll ever know." He pressed his lips to the younger man's. "However, my brothers are starting to get impatient and I'm afraid I'll have to love you and leave you. I'll see you later?"

The demon nodded before stealing another kiss. He ignored Lucifer's exaggerated groan (subtly flipping him off and causing the bronze-winged angel to snort out a laugh) and finally allowed Gabriel to retreat to his brothers.

"Hey! Don't forget to feed Riot when you get in!" Called Gabriel. "It may have slipped my mind this morning."

 _"Monster,"_ muttered Raphael, his affection for the Australian Shepherd a well-known fact.

"Fine. But if I find a dead dog in the kitchen, I know who to blame," replied Sam, taking off a little quicker than usual.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and trailed his brothers back to the Citadel.

 

* * * 

 

Three months later saw life amongst the angels returning as close to normal as possible.

It had been painful for Sam and Dean to return to training sessions to find a few faces absent, having given their lives to defend their city. Faces such as Constantine and Inias having vanished from the lessons and it made Sam and Dean's graces contort in agony to think that such familiar students would no longer enjoy life as they once had.

It just made the brothers more determined to help stop the terrible war.  
However, as one door closes, another one opens and the vacant positions in certain classes had been filled with fresh, young angels, determined to ensure their friends and family had not perished in vain.

"You're a natural, Kevin!" Chuckled Dean, wings bobbing in delight as the pearl-winged teen managed to out-manoeuvre Sam with a quick dip-and-roll. 

The youth grinned at Dean and the demon's grace lifted at seeing those chocolate eyes filled with excitement instead of the dreadful fear that had been present on the battlefield, the day Dean had rescued him in his bloodied state.

"Well done, kid," praised Dean, ruffling the teen's hair affectionately as he landed. 

"Thank you, Sir."

"Dean," corrected said demon. "No need for titles in this class, as I'm sure some of your more experienced peers will tell you."

A few older students smiled knowingly as Kevin rejoined the rest of the class, a light blush colouring his cheeks.

"You've all worked hard today," said Sam proudly and a few angels beamed at the compliment. "And if there's nothing our guests would like to add..." he paused as he shot a patient glance towards Castiel and Balthazar, who had helped throughout the session and were now lingering unobtrusively by the far wall. Balthazar shook his head and held his hands up in the negative and Sam nodded.

"Alright. Dismissed."

The class left in a cloud of animated chatter, the younger students enthusiastic at having the demons as their teachers whilst the more familiar students kept their mouths shut, not wanting to spoil the training sessions ahead.

When the class cleared from the hall, Balthazar chuckled.

"I don't think you two could make it any more obvious," he said, addressing both Castiel and Dean, and both men looked at him in surprise.

"Don't play innocent. I thought you were going to growl at me earlier," he smirked as he eyed Castiel. "I'm not competition, you know."

Castiel bowed his head sheepishly as Dean grinned.

"You two obviously have tension to rid yourselves of," he said dismissively as he made his way over to Sam, who was pulling a face that suggested he was going to bleach his ears later on.

"Come on, darling, let's leave before things get too explicit. I'll help you find Gabriel," drawled Balthazar as he offered a lazy wave to both Dean and Cas.

When the hall doors shut behind the two, Dean turned to his lover with an amused expression.

"Seriously?"

"Don't be so haughty. He said you were just as bad," huffed the angel and Dean snickered before sliding an arm around Cas' waist.

"Can I help it if you're so gorgeous, darlin'? Those beautiful wings on display for everyone to see; not my fault I get a little possessive."

Cas relaxed into him. "You invited Balthazar on purpose," he accused without much heat, one hand already roaming over the demon's chest.

"Maybe."

Cas shot him a childish pout. Dean thought it looked adorable.

"I like seeing you jealous. It's rare anything flusters you," chuckled Dean and Cas allowed a faint growl to resonate between them, letting Dean know what he thought of that particular statement.

"You're intentionally trying to make me jealous?" He huffed and Dean tugged him closer as he nuzzled the angel's neck promisingly.

"Possessive-you makes for great sex."

Cas thumped him lightly in the chest.

"What makes you so sure I even want you now? I don't like the way you objectify me so carelessly."

Despite his words, Cas bared his neck further and Dean smirked as he nipped teasingly at the skin.

The angel gasped sharply, wings hitching higher in arousal.

"You still not want me?" Asked Dean innocently, grace pressing as close to his lover's as possible, all the while still nipping and licking at the angel's exposed flesh.

"Home, now," growled Castiel in a way that had arousal shooting up Dean's groin.

"Whatever you say, darlin'," he purred beside the angel's ear, relishing in Cas' shiver.

Dean was taken off-guard when a hand roughly grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the hall's exit.

The flight home was torturous as Castiel kept teasing him with gentle brushes of their wing tips and would trail his fingers lightly over Dean's harsher feathers whenever the opportunity arose. Dean got his own back, mind you, when he briefly flashed his eyes black at the angel in desire, gaze full of filthy intent and Cas practically stalled in midair before catching himself.

The moment the door to the apartment clicked shut, Dean had the angel pinned against the wall as he ravished his mouth. 

Not one to back down from a challenge, Cas let his wings fall into a seductive pose as they flattened themselves against the wall, and Dean's breath caught in his throat when the pure white feathers fluffed up in an attempt to make the angel look more attractive.

Dean didn't think anyone could look more beautiful than his angel, pressed up against him and wings spread in invitation as dirty groans tumbled from slightly chapped lips, eyes glowing an intense blue.

Still, if Cas was offering...

Dean, with eyes a lustful black, buried both hands in Cas' silky wings, tugging gently and caressing the skin beneath the feathers.

Castiel threw his head back with a moan and Dean smirked as he nipped at the newly-exposed throat. His fingers found their way towards both oil glands and he rubbed his thumbs over them, grinning at his lover's choked sound of pleasure.

Averse to being idle, Cas clawed a hand down the back of one of Dean's wings as the other began to undo the buttons on the demon's shirt.

Dean claimed the angel's mouth again.

However, they broke apart to allow for Cas' desperate groan when Dean plunged his thumbs into both oil glands simultaneously.

"Dean..." Cas whined and the demon had no mercy on his lover. He rolled his hips roughly against the angel's and Cas' grip on his wing tightened.

"This is what happens when you tease," growled Dean lowly, enjoying every second of Castiel's pleasured whimpering.

Then Dean's whole body arched towards Cas' as the angel pushed a finger into his oil gland.

"You were saying?" Panted Cas and Dean silenced him with another kiss.

When Dean felt the oil dripping from the glands his thumbs were still pressed into, he removed his hands and dragged the oil down the feathers, grooming the angel in a way only he was allowed to.

Cas had his eyes closed, lips parted in bliss and being so close to one another, Dean could vaguely feel an aura of _love_ and _want_ and _protectiveness_ radiating from the angel's grace. 

His own dark grace responded in kind, trying to shove as much _love_ and _need_ and _possessiveness_ in the angel's direction even though their graces weren't joined.

He was snapped out of his musings when two things happened at once.

The first one was that Cas had somehow managed to completely rid him of his shirt without his notice, and the second one was the angel had felt the need to plunge another finger into his gland.

Dean moaned loudly.

Cas smirked and as he pressed a deceptively sweet kiss against Dean's bare chest, a third finger joined the other two's party in the oil gland.

Dean cried out and buried his face into Cas' neck as he tried to calm his erratic panting, but the angel was ruthless and as the fingers began to gently stretch the gland, oil leaking heavily from it, Cas undid the zip on Dean's trousers.

"This is what happens when you make me jealous," whispered Castiel, imitating Dean's cocky attitude from earlier.

Dean wasn't sure if he was losing or winning at their little game, but he did know that the angel's clever fingers were making him more desperate by the second.

Cas gasped quietly when Dean's feathers fluffed up. It was rarer for a demon's feather's to puff out like that than an angel's, no matter how aroused they were, because of their heavier weight. He'd only seen it happen to Dean on a couple of recent occasions, when their love-making had become more heated, charged with a sort of tension between their unbound graces. 

"Cas..." whimpered Dean. "Need you."

The demon's grip in his angel's feathers tightened and Cas hissed softly as his wings leaned into the touch.

Cas captured Dean's mouth again with a possessiveness that had the demon tugging the angel closer with one hand as the other continued to stroke and claw over white feathers.

"Bed," hissed Cas and Dean didn't have to be told twice.

The pair toppled into bed, quickly ridding each other of clothes before grinding against one another.

Cas straddled his lover, cupping his cheek as they shared a needy kiss, tongues dancing and lapping at each other's mouths, and Dean curled his wings around the angel, smothering his oil into pale feathers.

Cas grinned into their kiss when he felt the cool liquid seeping into his wings and he moved to nuzzle at Dean's throat as his hand rested over the demon's chest.

"Make me yours, Dean," he murmured and Dean's wings circled around the angel protectively.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have such a loving angel. Castiel had been willing to stand up against his brothers to defend him (it didn't matter that Michael and Lucifer hadn't particularly objected to their relationship in the end; Cas had still fought to keep him). The angel had been willing to call out other angels whenever they thought they could sneer or abuse Dean because of his demonic nature. Cas had been there for him whenever he needed him and even at the end, when Dean had lied about who he was, the angel had forgiven him despite the scenario being so similar to the time he'd spent with Alistair.

Cas had even been the one to start the whole relationship off properly; all because of a delayed alarm clock and a mug of coffee.

Dean felt his grace hammer at his chest to get to Castiel's.

They enjoyed each other for a few more moments, bodies sliding over one another as their wings pressed into each other's, oil slicking their feathers and they panted heavily, licking and nipping at strips of skin that became exposed to them.

Then Dean couldn't take it anymore.

As Cas claimed him in every way possible, Dean's legs wrapped around his hips and he threw his head back with a throaty groan.

"Bond with me," he said heatedly as his back arched off the bed and Cas' eyes glowed an even brighter blue (if that were possible).

"D-Dean?" He stuttered as his hips continued their rhythm, hands braced just above Dean's shoulders as the demon's wings curled tighter around him.

"Bond with me," pleaded Dean once more, hands settling in the base of Cas' wings and a choked moan was ripped from the angel's throat.

"We're not supposed..." He hissed as Dean tugged at the base of his wing. "We're supposed to wait," he breathed. "After marriage." Another groan. "After a bonding ceremony."

Dean huffed out a desperate laugh. "We've done everything else the wrong way around."

And it was true. They'd had sex first before becoming friends. They'd become lovers before sharing their first kiss. They'd come to depend on each other before truly understanding what it meant to be friends, then lovers. 

Why not bond before the ceremony? Or even before marriage?

"...Are we rushing into this?" Asked Cas after a few seconds as their sweaty bodies continued to move against one another.

Dean pulled the angel's head down for a frantic kiss.

"Does it matter?" He panted urgently. "There's a war going on. We might die at any moment and I don't want to think about what could have been."

Cas chased Dean's lips once more.

"Don't say that," he growled placing a hand over Dean's shoulder like a brand that kept him from harm.

"I've given everything up for you, Cas. And I'd do it all again," whispered Dean, fingers tangling themselves in tufts of raven hair. "I need you."

"This is irreversible, Dean," breathed Cas. "I'll know every secret of yours just as you'll know mine." Another keen of want. "People have died because their graces weren't compatible. We could grow to hate each other if ours aren't suited to one another."

"I could never hate you."

"A demon and an angel have never mated before. Not since this war started. What if- "

Dean cut him off with a frenzied kiss.

"Do you love me?"

"Of course." Not a hint of hesitation.

"We might regret this but we might not. I do know I don't want to live without you." He let out another ragged groan. "I know the repercussions if this goes South. So do you. So yes or no?"

Dean claimed his lips again, rough and hard and messy and Cas couldn't get enough of it.

 _"Yes,_ " he groaned into the demon's mouth.

Suddenly, Dean was hit by an overwhelming bombardment of emotion, colour and sound.

It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It was blinding yet clarifying, deafening yet perfectly clear all at the same time. 

His nerve endings felt as though they'd been set on fire, yet he couldn't feel or recognise anything past Castiel. He couldn't even feel his own body, or maybe he could. He wasn't entirely sure anymore.

But he had enough sense to know that if he wanted to complete this bond, he had to let his own grace free at Cas'. So he did.

If he thought the sensations before had been ecstasy, then he didn't have a word for this.

Cas' grace was everything his wasn't. It was bright and fluid where his was dark and smoky. Tendrils of energy danced around each other, combining into something even more beautiful and awe-inspiring. 

Colours exploded in front of Dean's vision even though he had his eyes squeezed shut. Harmonies rang in his ears and thoughts and memories that weren't his own flashed in his mind as Dean learned every one of Cas' fears, his hopes and his dreams.

Cas was magnificent. Dean could see into his very being, could feel every emotion the angel had felt in his life, saw all the times Cas had been upset or angry; all the times he'd been overjoyed or content; all the times he'd been disappointed or confused and Dean cried with him, laughed and smiled, or soothed him as the memories flew by.

Then the memories of Alistair appeared, tinged with darkness around the edges, some cracked or dulled and as Dean watched them, he felt rage and fury bubble up inside him at what the other demon had done to Cas.

He felt Cas' affection for Alistair as they first got to know one another. He felt the want and desire from Cas as they made love for the first time and the adoration that followed. He experienced the laughter and joy at everything in between; the upset when they argued and the relief when they made up.

Then he felt Cas' confusion at finding the hidden letters; the hurt and shock as his lover pressed a knife against his throat.

The heart-break and rejection when he realised he was being used.

He understood why Cas had closed himself off from any form of relationship; saw how Cas' friends were worried about him and how the angel knew but couldn't allow himself to let go of his tight control over his emotions.

Then the memories continued; the sensations with them, and Dean saw Cas' hatred of him when they first met. Saw how he'd been desperate to take his anger out on another demon for what Alistair had caused and when Dean had offered the opportunity of no-strings-attached, mutual relief sessions, Cas had wanted to make Dean suffer for Alistair's betrayal.

Then when Dean had suffered, he felt Cas' guilt, his shame at hurting someone for something they hadn't done and he saw the angel's remorse as he switched off the alarm and placed the coffee mug beside the sleeping demon.

He experienced the confusion and need to keep his feelings locked away as he and Cas got to know one another more, but he also felt the hope and happiness Cas felt whenever Dean was near.

He felt that happiness grow into affection, then eventually, love and need as their relationship progressed and then he felt the overwhelming sense of fear and panic when Crowley had revealed Dean's orders. However, these sensations were fleeting as Cas' logic set in and he reasoned Dean wouldn't hurt him after all they had been through. He felt thoughts of Alistair being shoved away as confusion as to why Dean hadn't revealed his mission settled in.

Then he felt the love and pride Cas had for him after he came clean. He felt how the angel's adoration and desire for him had only strengthened over the past few weeks until now, where Cas felt comfortable enough to bond with him.

These sensations could have lasted for hours or milliseconds for all Dean could tell, but as his mind and body returned to reality, Dean felt there was something different in his grace.

Before he got a chance to analyse it, he heard the quiet sound of someone weeping.

Alarmed, he glanced down to find tears slipping down Cas' cheeks as he nuzzled at Dean's chest. 

He instinctively pulled the angel closer, an overwhelming need to protect his mate overcoming him.

Dean was too concerned about Castiel to realise he'd just referred to him as _'mate'_.

"Cas?" He tried quietly, wings wrapping around his angel comfortingly.

"You gave up everything for me," whimpered Cas, his own wings sliding around Dean. "Your friends, your family. Everything." He sniffled, obviously awed at the memories and emotions and thoughts he'd been privy to via Dean's grace. "I don't deserve you."

Only then did Dean feel the cool dampness of his own cheeks and he realised he'd been openly crying at some of Cas' memories.

He hugged the angel tighter.

"I should be saying that to you." He pressed his lips to raven hair. "You loved him," he stated quietly and Cas stiffened.

"You mean more to-"

"And it broke you when he betrayed you," interrupted Dean gently. "Yet you forgave me when I did exactly the same thing."

Cas frowned and placed a kiss on the corner of Dean's mouth.

"You're nothing like him. You truly do love me." And he knew that for a fact because he'd seen inside Dean's soul, as it were.

They shared soft kisses, embracing each other with their wings as they relished the feeling of each other's naked skin.

"I can feel you," said Cas quietly, awed, and Dean took a moment to wonder what he meant.

Then he felt it too. 

His thoughts returned to his grace and how it had felt different after they'd climaxed and he realised a tiny part of Cas' grace had lodged itself in Dean's and remained there. It wasn't stationary either; it curled and dipped and danced over and through Dean's own, providing a glimmer of light amongst the sea of darkness. Dean's grace bobbed joyously with it, enclosing it protectively and caressing it lovingly. 

It was nothing like the bond he shared with his brother; a simple thread from one sibling to another and it wasn't the same as the one he remembered sharing with his mother; one that got weaker over time as he aged and then was snuffed out completely when Mary was murdered.

This one was strong and calming; a direct link to his mate so they knew what the other was thinking or feeling at all times.

It would be difficult to learn to control; much more difficult than learning to control the one he shared with his brother, and this bond seemed like it had more room to grow, as if it would only strengthen as time passed.

"I've heard if mates renew the bond, the link grows until both graces share exactly half of the other," whispered Cas.

Dean glanced at him. The angel was gazing up at him with blue eyes glowing like sapphires. His wings were still fluffy, feathers puffed out in post-coital bliss and he had shifted slightly onto his side, so he was half lying on Dean's chest, and half lying on the bed. He looked content.

"You're beautiful," murmured Dean and Cas lowered his gaze, embarrassed.

Dean manoeuvred them both until they were tucked comfortably against one another's chests, wings brushing.

"I love you so much, Dean," murmured Cas, resting his forehead against his lover's. "I can't believe you're mine."

"I could say the same to you, darlin'."

The angel smiled and snuggled up to Dean, closing his eyes as he relaxed into the mattress.

Dean stroked a white wing as he peppered kisses over his mate's head.

"I'll love you forever," he murmured, right before he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left, guys! I'm going to be so sad to post it after spending so much time on this fic! I hope you've had as much fun with this fic as I've had!


	24. Chapter 24

It turned out that Gabriel had been waiting for Sam in the reception area of the citadel, so Balthazar offered him a half-hearted wave before taking off home.

"Done for the day?" Gabriel asked and Sam nodded.

"Let's go home."

When they arrived at Gabriel's house, they were greeted and bowled over by a rather enthusiastic, overgrown puppy and by the time they'd managed to wrestle Riot off them both, they were covered in various shades of fur.

Gabriel grumbled to himself about 'untrained wild beasts' but they both knew he would have been upset if he didn't get greeted like that every day.

Sam chuckled and moved to fill up the empty dog bowl, which Riot happily thanked him for before diving in head-first.

The pair of non-canine beings had a civilised meal at the table (surrendering half of their dessert to a pathetically whining Riot) before retreating into the lounge area to watch some TV and relax.

Sam pulled a face.

"What's wrong?" Asked Gabriel, concerned.

"My brother needs to stop leaving his side of the bond open whenever he and Cas... copulate."

Gabriel snorted. "I'm so glad my brothers are single."

"Hm." Sam paused. "It's funny; I swear he closed it before when I left the training hall, but I can't imagine anything being powerful enough to force it open and try to break through my end of the bond when I've also got it closed."

"A really intense orgasm?"

"Please don't talk about my brother's orgasms."

"Sorry."

Sam shook his head and tugged Gabriel closer until the archangel was lying on his chest.

They focused their attention on whatever sitcom was blaring through the screen, more concerned with being close to one another than actually watching.

Sam stroked a large hand over Gabriel's stomach and the angel manoeuvred one of Sam's chocolate wings until he could groom some of the wayward feathers.

They basked in each other's presence for a few moments before Sam pressed a chaste kiss to Gabriel's hair.

"Would you ever consider bonding?"

Gabriel hesitated. "Yes."

Sam mulled this over. "Would you ever consider bonding with me?"

The archangel paused a little too long and Sam shifted to look at him.

Gabriel sighed quietly.

"I would love to bond with you, Sam, but I can't."

Sam frowned. "Why not?" There was no accusation in his voice, just open curiosity. He knew Gabriel loved him, so if the archangel was saying they couldn't bond, then there had to be a legitimate reason. If Gabriel had stuck with him after finding him rummaging through the Archives, then it couldn't be because the angel was frightened of committing to a demon.

"I took an oath," explained Gabriel, settling onto Sam more comfortably and the demon wrapped his arm more securely around Gabriel's middle. "An oath that prevents me from sharing certain secrets with anyone below my rank. If we were to bond, I'd have no choice to break that oath. I can't do that; not when I promised to keep such things classified. War things," he gestured vaguely.

Sam nodded. "Oh." He nuzzled a golden wing that had fallen over his shoulder. "Archangel stuff?"

Gabriel quirked a smile. "Exactly."

"Okay."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "You're disappointed." It wasn't a question but Sam answered it anyway.

"A little," he shrugged. "But I understand. You are a leader of an army; it's to be expected that there are things you aren't allowed to reveal for fear of reprimand."

"I really would bond with you if things were different."

Sam placed a kiss to the shell of the archangel's ear and ignored the dismayed shrink of his grace.

"It's okay, Gabe. I get it, really. There are things I'm not allowed to know. I knew what I was getting into when we first started this relationship." He smiled. "Having you is enough."

Gabriel smiled back briefly, but he seemed troubled as a silence fell between the pair.

"Did Cas swear the same oath?" Sam asked after a while, thinking about his brother.

Gabriel nodded. "Something similar, at least. He's not allowed to reveal certain secrets either; same as all the top agents. It's the price we all pay for being in such high positions," sighed the angel.

Sam contemplated this for a few seconds. "I suppose it's not usually much of problem though. I mean, when was the last time anyone actually bonded?"

Gabriel shrugged, but it looked forced and Sam's gaze softened.

"I love you, too," he murmured and Gabriel smiled tenderly, stealing a kiss from the demon's lips.

"I could ask Michael," he said after a moment. "He'll probably reject the idea, but there's no harm in asking."

Sam's grace lifted in hopefulness. "Yeah?"

Gabriel grinned in amusement. "I mean, it's worth a shot, right?"

Sam curled his wings around his archangel, nuzzling his neck lovingly.

"It's better than running head-first into it and asking questions later. I wouldn't like to see you getting punished."

Gabriel chuckled. "I've already kept secrets once; I'm not risking it again."

They shared a sweet kiss.

"You don't have to ask any time soon though," said Sam, relaxing back into the couch. "We don't need to rush into this."

Gabriel chuckled. "Don't worry. If I'm going to consider holding a bonding ceremony, it'll be _after_ I've asked for your hand."

"Marriage?" Asked Sam, trying to stamp down on his flip-flopping grace.

"Of course. How uncultured do you think I am?" Snorted Gabriel and Sam chuckled.

"Sometimes you make me wonder."

"Is that any way to be addressing your future partner?"

" _'Future'?_ "

Gabriel eyed him sternly. "I will be marrying you, Sam Winchester. My oath says nothing about exchanging rings."

Sam gulped, wings beginning to flutter in unrestrained excitement.

"Yeah?"

Gabriel smirked. "Did you think I was joking when I said I wanted to bond with you?"

"Actually, you said you'd _consider_ it."

"Don't get smart with me, kid."

Sam let his head fall back against the arm of the couch as he hugged Gabriel to his chest.

"Marriage, huh?" He smirked slyly. "I take it you'll be wearing the dress?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Keep your kinks to the bedroom."

Sam snickered before resuming his gentle caress of Gabe's stomach.

"Can't believe you want a wedding with me. Won't I ruin your reputation?"

Gabe huffed. "Don't care what other people think of us. If they don't like it then they don't have to come. I only care what you want, kiddo."

Sam wouldn't admit it, but he had a little soft spot for Gabriel calling him _'kiddo'_. Gabriel had quite possibly already worked it out.

His grip tightened around his angel.

"Oh."

"Don't sound so surprised."

Sam shook his head, a small smile lighting his face.

"Sometimes I can't get over the fact that a mighty archangel wants to be with me."

"Sometimes I can't get over the fact that a Sasquatch of a demon gave up everything he ever knew for me."

Sam rolled his eyes and shifted until Gabriel was lying beneath him with a knowing gaze.

Sam leaned down and captured the angel's lips with as much love and affection as he could muster.

"Sap," murmured Gabriel and Sam lifted an eyebrow.

"Look who's talking."

Gabriel pulled a face and dragged his demon's head down for a searing kiss as their wings curled around one another's bodies.

"Shut up and kiss me, kid."

 

~ Fin ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh... Looks like Cas broke a rather sacred oath...
> 
> As you can probably tell, I am considering writing a sequel to this and that's why this (short) chapter finishes on a bit of a leading piece.
> 
> However, it's taken months to write this and get it out on this site and I'm glad it's finally finished! 
> 
> Tell me what you think! Message me with any mistakes you spot, or any criticisms and give me an idea whether you enjoyed it or not!
> 
> I do take requests or prompts (I love a challenge!) so if there's anything you're dying to read, pop me a comment and I'll see what I can do! 
> 
> For now though, hope you liked this fic and I'll (hopefully) see you in the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the set-up to the story. If you do have any constructive criticism, feel free to comment :)
> 
> Happy reading


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